Country Life Education Series 



TYPES AND BREEDS 

OF 

FARM ANIMALS 

PLUMB 



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Class _i££ii.£ 

Book 



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C.OF^iCHT DEPOSm 



COUNTRY LIFE EDUCATION 
SERIES 



Edited by Charles William Burkett, Editor of American 

Agriculturist 5 formerly Director of Experiment 

Station, Kansas State Agricultural College 



TTPES AND BREEDS OF FARM ANIMALS 
[Re-vised Edition) By Charles S. Plumb, Ohio 
State University 

PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING 

By Eugene Davenport, University ot Illinois 

FUNGOUS DISEASES OF PLANTS 

By Benjamin Minge Duggar, Washington Uni- 
versity 

SOIL FERTILITY AND PERMANENT 
AGRICULTURE 

By Cyril George Hopkins 

PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF POULTRY 
CULTURE 

By John Henry Robinson 

GARDEN FARMING 

By Lee Cleveland Corbett, United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture 

THE APPLE 

By Albert E. Wilkinson 

Ei^UIPMENT FOR THE FARM AND THE 
FARMSTEAD 

By Harry C. Ramsower,- Ohio State University 

Other volumes in preparation 




The British Isles 

This map shows the native homes of prominent breeds of horses and cattle (see numerals) 
and sheep (see letters) 

I, Cleveland; II, Clydesdale ; III, Hackney; IV, Shetland; V, Shire; VI, Suffolk; 7, Aber- 
deen Angus; 8, Ayrshire: 9, Devon; 10, Dexter and Kerry; 11, Galloway; 12, Guernsey 
and Jersey; 13, Hereford; 14, Red Polled; 15, Shorthorn; 16, West Highland; A, Black- 
Faced Highland ; B, Cheviot; C, Cotswold ; D, Dorset Horn ; /■;, Hampshire; F. Leicester; 
G, Lincoln ; //, Oxford ; /, Komney Marsh ; /, Shropshire ; A', Southdown ; L, Suffolk 



TYPES AND BREEDS OF 
EARM ANIMALS 



BY 



CHARLES S, PLUMB 

PROFESSOR OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY IN THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE 

OF THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY. AUTHOR OF "JUDGING FARM 

ANIMALS," "beginnings IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY," ETC. 



REVISED EDITION 




GINN AND COMPANY 

BOSTON • NEW YORK • CHICAGO • LONDON 
ATLANTA • DALLAS • COLUMBUS • SAN FRANCISCO 



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ENTERED AT STATIONEKs' HALL 



COPYRIGHT, 1906, 1920, BY 
CHARLES S. PLUMli 



ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 
320-4 



MAY 20 IS20 



GINN AND COMPANY • I'RO- 
PKIHTORS • UOSTON • U.S.A. 



iGt.A570071 



. I 



FOREWORD 

"Types and Breeds of Farm Animals " was first published in 
1906. The reception accorded the first edition far surpassed the 
most sanguine expectations of the author, and his first impulse is 
to express a deep appreciation for the many generous expressions 
regarding it that have come to him from many sources. In this 
revised edition is a more detailed discussion relative to the great 
breeds, and considerable space is devoted to families of impor- 
tance and to noted individuals. A large amount of new data has 
been collected relating to various phases of production, although 
it is a hopeless task to bring such records down to date. Milk, 
butter-fat, speed, and sale-ring records have been shattered over 
and over again during the last few years, so that what is new 
to-day will to-morrow be out of date. The number of chapters 
remains the same, but several obsolete breeds have been omitted 
in this revision and other new and more important ones have 
been substituted. Maps and many illustrations have been added. 

The author desires to emphasize the importance of breed 
study. The value of all our farm animals is dependent upon the 
breeds being maintained not only in their purity but in a high 
degree of excellence. A great number of men without plan or 
purpose are producing inferior horses, cattle, sheep, and swine, 
mixing breeds and blood-lines, totally ignoring all thought of 
constructive breeding. Were it not for the relatively few men 
breeding along definite lines and upholding high standards within 
the breeds, our herds and flocks would sink to much lower levels. 
To overcome the damages done by nondescript breeding, it is 
absolutely essential that men shall familiarize themselves with 
the ancestry, characteristics, capacities, and adaptations of the 
breeds, that they may intelligently undertake breeding operations. 



vi FOREWORD 

Inasmuch as this volume will be largely used by students and 
young stockmen, who are essentially beginners in the study and 
breeding of farm animals, the author wishes to emphasize the 
importance of the breeder being a person of integrity, with a 
character above reproach. It is most unfortunate that the hand 
of suspicion has pointed at some breeders as engaged in practices 
that reflect upon their reliability. Errors of record due to care- 
lessness may happen, and be excused, but premeditated crooked- 
ness in breeding, testing, or selling pure-bred live stock cannot 
be justified and should be severely punished. Our breeds must 
be established and maintained with honesty of purpose a first 
requirement. Whoever attempts to establish a herd under any 
other conditions is sure to degrade rather than elevate the 
breeder's art, to injure the innocent, to carry a tainted name, 
and to have a disastrous career. Public sentiment should place 
a premium on a good name as worth more than great riches and 
attach the stain of disgrace and a just punishment on the man 
guilty of intentional deceit. 

One of the most hopeful signs on the horizon of American 
live-stock husbandry is the present interest in community and 
cooperative breeding and the establishment of thousands of boys' 
and girls' live-stock clubs. For this reason the future prospects 
of improved live-stock husbandry are most encouraging. Both 
types and breeds are receiving greatly increased attention, and 
many more are seriously interested in constructive breeding than 
ever before. It is the profound desire of the author that this 
work shall contribute to this end. 

CHARLES S. PLUMB 
Ohio Statk Univkksitv, 

COLUMHUS, Ohiu 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. The Prehistoric Horse i 

II. The Arab Horse 7 

III. The Thoroughbred 17 

IV. The American Saddle Horse 31 

V. The Light Harness Type 40 

VI. The American Trotter and Pacer 44 

VII. The Heavy Harness Horse Type 64 

VHI. The Hackney 70 

IX. The French Coach 78 

X. The German Coach 82 

XI. The Cleveland Bay 85 

XII. The Draft-Horse Type . . . ! 89 

XIII. The Percheron 95 

XIV. The French Draft 118 

XV. The Belgian 121 

XVI. The Clydesdale 134 

XVII. The Shire 148 

XVIII. The Suffolk 160 

XIX. Ponies 168 

XX. The Shetland Pony 175 

XXI. The Ass 182 

XXII. The Mule 192 

^XXIII. Beef Type of Cattle 201 

V XXIV. The Shorthorn 207 

V XXV. The Polled Shorthorn 247 

I XXVI. The Hereford 252 

V XXVII. The Aberdeen-Angus 279 

XXVIII. The Galloway 300 

XXIX. The West Highland 311 

. XXX. Dairy Type of Catde 317 

XXXI. The Jersey 323 

XXXII. The Holstein-Friesian 354 

XXXIII. The Guernsey 385 

XXXIV. The Ayrshire 412 

XXXV. The Dutch Belted 428 

XXXVI. The French Canadian 434 

vii 



viii CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

XXXVII. The Kerry 438 

XXXVIII. The Dexter 442 

XXXIX. Dual-Purpose Type of Cattle 447 

XL. The Red Polled 450 

XLI. The Brown Swiss .... 463 

XLII. The Devon 473 

XLI 1 1. The Merino, or Fine-Wool Type of Sheep 481 

XLIV. The American Merino 48S 

XLV. The Delaine Merino 511 

XLVI. The Rambouillet 520 

XLVII. The Mutton Type of Sheep 533 

XLVIII. The Southdown '• • 537 

XLIX. The Shropshire 551 

L. The Oxford Down 566 

LI. The Hampshire Down 575 

LII. The Dorset Horn 586 

LHI. The Cheviot 597 

LIV. The Suffolk 607 

LV. The Tunis 613 

LVI. The Leicester 618 

LVII. The Cotswold 628 

LVIII. The Lincoln 636 

LIX. The Romney Marsh 646 

LX. The Black-Faced Highland 651 

LXI. The Corriedale 655 

LXII. The Karakul 660 

LXIII. The Angora Goat 666 

LXIV. The Milch Goat 673 

LXV. The American, or Lard, Type of Pig 683 

LXVI. The Berkshire 689 

LXVII. The Duroc-Jersey 705 

LXVIII. The Poland-China 720 

LXIX. The Chester White 737 

LXX. The Hampshire 749 

LXXI. The Mule-Foot 759 

LXXII. The Large Black 762 

LXXIII. The Cheshire 766 

LXXIV. The Small Yorkshire no 

LXXV. The Essex 774 

LXXVI. The Bacon Type of Pig 77^ 

LXXVII. The Large Yorkshire 782 

LXXVIII. The Tamworth 792 

INDEX 799 



TYPES AND BREEDS OF 
FARM ANIMALS 

PART I. THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 
CHAPTER I 

THE PREHISTORIC HORSE 

The world-wide distribution of the horse in prehistoric times 
has been well established. Fossil remains have been discovered 
in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America. Nothing 
of the kind, however, has been found in Australia or the Oceanic 
Islands. These remains have been found in earth and sand 
deposits in various parts of Europe, antedating the glacial period. 
In 1 90 1 important discoveries were made of drawings of horses 
in a cave at La Mouthe, France, supposed to have been made 
prior to the Stone Age. These drawings were partly cut in rock 
and partly made in ocher and represented animals associated 
with hunting. These well-defined drawings show a horse with 
no forelock and a head with Roman-nose character, also one with 
a head similar to that of the Celtic pony. From the evidence 
left in these caves it is thought that a larger type of horse 
lived toward the south, while farther north a smaller form 
existed. The ass is also known to have been in existence in 
Europe at this period. 

The discovery of the prehistoric horse in America was first 
made by Mitchell in 1826 near the Navesink Highlands in New 
Jersey, and caused great discussion. About 1850 Dr. Leidy made 
similar discoveries in Nebraska, and late in the nineteenth cen- 
tury the wide distribution of this early horse in North and South 
America was well understood. These remains have been found 
all over the Southern states, in the Northeastern and Middle 



2 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

states, in California and Oregon, and in greatest abundance in the 
so-called l^ad Lands of Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota. 
The fossil remains of the horse are generally fragmentary and 
date as remotely as the Lower Eocene period, A number of com- 
plete skeletons, however, have been discovered, notably in 1899 
in Texas, when several of the size of a trotting horse were found. 
The evolution of the horse from prehistoric to present times 
covers geological ages of time and represents a passing of perhaps 




Vie. 1. Skeleton of prehistoric horse from the Lower I'lcislocene of Texas, 

in the American Museum of Natural History. Reproduced by courtesy 

of the American Museum 

three million years. Extensive researches relative to the prehis- 
toric horse, conducted by the scientific staff of the American 
Museum of Natural History, directed by Drs. (3sborn and 
Matthews, have resulted in securing a wonderful collection of re- 
mains and a large amount of valuable new data. As a result of 
these discoveries, there has been set up in this museum a com- 
plete collection of skeletons showing the various stages of 
development from the Lower Eocene to the present day horse. 
Many of these skeletons, originally more or less incomplete, have 
been restored, so that the exhibit appears perfect. Based on the 



THE PREHISTORIC HORSE 



above-referred-to discoveries, the following descriptive information 
is presented relative to the evolution of the prehistoric horse 
through several geological periods : 

EoJiippiis, formerly known as Hyracotherium, existed in the 
Lower Eocene period. The teeth, short-crowned, were covered 
with little knobs of enamel. The fore foot had four complete toes 
and a splint of a fifth, while the hind foot had three toes and a 



Head 



Fore Foot 



HindFoot 



Teeth 




OneToe 

Splints of 

2d and 4th 

digits 



OneToe 
Splints of 
2d and 4th 
digits 



Protohippus 



Mesohippus 



Protorohippus 



Hyracotherium 
(Eohippus) 



ThreeToes 
Side toes 
!■[ not touching 
the ground 



b 



ThreeToes 

Side toes 

not toiLching 

the ground 




Long- 
Crowned, 
Cement- 
covered 



a Three Toes 
II Side toes 
m touching the 

ground; 
Splint ofSthdigit 



Three Toes 

Side toes 

touching the 

ground 



Four Toes 



Short- 
Crowned, 
without 
Cement 



Four Toes 
Splint of 
Jst digit 



Three Toes 
Splint of 
5th digit 



Fig. 2. Comparative drawings of skulls, feet, and teeth of prehistoric horse, 

showing evolutionary development. Reproduced by permission from Guide 

Leaflet N'o. 9, American Museum of Natural Histor 

splint. The skull suggests a civet rather than a horse. Remains 
have been found in a number of parts of the world, but more espe- 
cially in the Bad Lands of the Western states. These are about 
the size of a cat or fox terrier, and have been termed " dawn 
horses." Eleven stages of development have been assumed to have 
taken place from and including this period to the present time. 

ProtoroJiippns and Oi-ohippiis are from the Middle Eocene 
period. Here the splints in the hind feet have disappeared, and 
the crests on the molars are more apparent. These horses were 



4 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

about the size of a small dog or fox. The complete skeleton of 
a Protorohippus was found in 1880 in Wyoming and is now in 
the American Museum collection. 

EpiJiippus is from the Upper Eocene period. Only incomplete 
specimens have been found. There are four toes in front and 
three behind, but the central toe in each case is larger, stronger, 
and more important than the side toes. The teeth have gone 
through changes, with more crescents and crests. 

McsoJiippus is from the Oligocene period. There are three toes 
on each foot and a splint representing the fourth toe of the fore foot. 
The middle toe is now much larger than it was in the preceding 
stage, the side toes bearing but little weight of the body. There 
is an increased development of the molars. In the Middle Oligo- 
cene is found one species about the size of a coyote, or eighteen 
inches high, while in the Upper Oligocene is another species as 
large as a sheep. Several complete skeletons have been found. 

ProtoJiippjis is from the Miocene period. A number of different 
species existed in the Lower, Middle, and Upper Miocene periods. 
The side toes are slender and no longer reach the ground. In 
some species they have completely disappeared. The teeth are 
more Hke those of the modern horse — the crowns being much 
lengthened, and the crests and ridges higher and more com- 
plicated, with cement between the ridges. Horses of this period 
ranged in size from a mastiff dog to a Shetland pony. 

PlioJiippus is from the Pliocene period. Comparatively little is 
known of this form, excepting that it was either one-toed or 
very nearly so. 

Eqnus is from the Pleistocene period and Recent. The side toes 
are gone, but are represented by splints on fore and hind foot. 
On the fore foot no trace of the first and fifth toes, found on the 
Protohippus, remains. The crowns of the teeth are much longer, 
and the teeth have changed otherwise. The skull has lengthened, 
and the horse is much larger. 

Tracing the evolution of the horse, we find that this animal 
gradually increases in height, the number of toes reduces to one 
on each foot, while the teeth increase in length and crown de- 
velopment. With increase in height comes a gain in the propor- 
tionate length of the limbs, more especially in the lower part, 



THE PREHISTORIC HORSE 



5 



thereby increasing the length of stride and securing greater 
speed. The surfaces of the joints, at first more or less open and 
of the ball-and-socket type, changed to a grooved or pulley-like 
form, this limiting the direction of movement forward and back- 
ward, — a development better fitted for locomotion over level than 
rough ground. The horse being a grazing animal, the increase 
in height of body and length of leg necessitated elongation of 
neck and head. The natural habitat of the earlier horse was the 




Fig. 3. Prejvalsky p^.,.^.:. ..i New York Zoological Park. r!.^.._.^.„ph by 
courtesy of Edwin R. Sanborn 

forest, w^here it undoubtedly subsisted on the more tender parts 
of plants and branches. In the course of time, however, along 
with the increase in size came the development of teeth with 
cutting and grinding surfaces better suited to the product of 
grassy plains than the forest ; hence the horse eventually found 
its natural home on the open plain or meadow where grazing 
was afforded. 

The color of the prehistoric horse is not known, but it is sup- 
posed to have been more or less striped, like the zebra, though 
not brilliant in hue. The groundwork of this color was presum- 
ably dun, or khaki. 



6 THE HORSE, ASS, AND Mll.E 

Man and the prehistoric horse were associated as early as the 
Paleolithic, or Stone Implement ^\ge. It is assumed that man first 
hunted horses for food, then drove them, and finally used them 
for riding and as beasts of burden. The bones of human beings 
have been found in connection with prehistoric-horse remains in 
South America, but not in North America. In Europe man and 
the prehistoric horse were without doubt associated. 

The connecting link between the prehistoric and modern horse 
is assumed to be the present form of the zebra, the wild ass of 
Asia and Africa, and Prejvalsky's horse. The prehistoric horse 
became extinct in America and Europe during the Quaternary 
period, or Age of Man, while those of Asia and Africa survived. 
It has been assumed by various authorities that Prejvalsky's horse, 
discovered in 1881 by Poliakoff on the desert of Zungaria in 
western Mongolia in Asia, is the connecting link between the 
recent and prehistoric horse. This type of wild pony, standing 
forty inches high, bears a striking resemblance to the European 
cave drawings of the horse. The rough, small, coarse-headed 
ponies native to Norway, Ireland, and other parts of northern 
Europe show much resemblance to the wild ponies of Mongolia 
and China. Professor J. Cossar Ewart of Scotland, who has given 
much study to the origin of our domestic breeds, states ^ that 
" though the wild horse discovered some years ago by Prejvalsky 
in Mongolia has neither coarse limbs nor broad hoofs, it is re- 
garded by many as the modern representative of the fossil horse 
from which domestic breeds are said to have descended. This is 
the view adopted by Professor Diirst in his report on the 'Animal 
Remains from the Excavations at Anau.'" In 1904 Plwart recog- 
nized as connecting links three distinct types of horses — Prej- 
valsky's, Celtic, and Norwegian, which he later respectively 
designated as " steppe," " plateau," and "' forest" types. Diirst of 
Germany, who arrived at the same conclusion, though independ- 
ently, represented in graphic form the origin of the modern i^reeds. 
However, he assumed that both wild and tame modern horses 
« are all descended from a fossil species now represented by Equus 
Prejvalsky. 

1 "The Principles of Breeding and the Origin of Domesticated Breeds of 
Animals," 27th Report Bureau Animal Industry for the year 1910, pp. 125-239. 



CHAPTER II 
THE ARAB HORSE 

The native home of the Arab horse is Arabia. This is an ex- 
tensive country lying just east of the Red Sea, extending some 
fifteen hundred miles northwest to southeast, and varying in width 
from about one thousand miles in its southern portion to five hun- 
dred at its northern end. Wide expanses of deserts are found 
in this country that are dry and unattractive from an agricultural 
point of view. The Arab horse, more or less pure, is found in 
great numbers in Turkey, Persia, and parts of northern Africa, 
notably the Sahara region. The best Arabian horses are found 
in the desert region, among the migratory Bedouin tribes, of which 
there are several groups. The most powerful of these are the 
Shammar race of Mesopotamia in the north and to the east of the 
Euphrates, and the Anezah in the south. The latter have the best 
horses, a fact generally recognized by the Bedouins. 

The origin of the pure Arabian has been the subject of wide 
discussion. Undoubtedly much has been written based on nothing 
more substantial than romance and tradition. Some writers — nota- 
bly Professor William Ridgeway of Cambridge, England — have 
assumed that the Arab horse originated in Africa ; others seriously 
question the accuracy of this claim. The Arabians themselves 
offer only traditional evidence. These people are descendants of 
Ishmael, who, according to tradition, inherited a valuable horse 
of the Kuhl race. The Anezah tribe descends in a direct line 
from Ishmael, through Sheik Salaman, who lived about 1635 B.C. 
and who owned five famous mares. These are known as the 
Al Khamseh mares, and from this ancestry, it is claimed, has come 
the purest and best Arab horse blood. This race was in exist- 
ence many centuries before the time of Mohammed. Many people 
have visited Arabia to study the Arabian horse and to import 
it to other countries, and from these people there has been some 
diversity of opinion. Major Upton and Lady Anne Blunt, however, 

7 



8 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



have no doubt given more careful consideration to this subject 
than any other persons. They made special journeys to Arabia, 
where careful studies were made of the horse of the people, con- 
cerning which we learn much in their writings. ^ Major Upton 
lived among the Arabs for months and spoke their language. 
The late Homer Davenport, an American artist who was for many 
years interested in this breed of horses, after a trip to Arabia also 

published more or less re- 
garding the origin of this 
horse and its various 
families and subfamilies.^ 
Five great families of 
Arabian horses of to-day 
trace their ancestry to the 
five mares above referred 
to. These families are as 
follows: (i)KeheiletAjuz, 
(2) Seglawi, (3) Abeyah, 
(4) Hamdani, and (5) Had- 
ban. There is some dif- 
ference of opinion as to 
the families descending 
from these mares, but 
present-day authorities as 
a rule regard the above 
as descended from the 
Khamseh mares. Numer- 
ous subfamilies or strains are credited to these five great fam- 
ilies. From the first-named family, the Keheilet Ajuz, comes 
the choicest Arab blood. As applied to horses, Kehcilan means 
"male" and Keheilet "female," and indicates purity of blood trace- 
able without a break to the five mares of Salaman. The word 
aj7is means "old woman." The following story of the origin of 
this family is given by the Arabian people and has been widely 




Fig. 4. .Shahwan, an Arab stallion bred by Ali 
Pacha Sherif of Egypt. Used in stud by W. S. 
Blunt, Esq., England. Imported in 1895 ^y 
J. A. P. Ramsdell, Newburg, New York. Photo- 
graph by courtesy of Mr. Ramsdell 



' Roger D. Upton, Gleanings from the Desert of Arabia (London, i88i); 
Lady Anne Hlunt, The Bedouin Tribes of the Euphrates, 2 vols. (London, 1879) '■> 
Lady Anne Blunt, A Pilgrimage to Nejd, 2 vols. (London, 1881). 

'^ Homer Davenport, My Quest of the Arab Morse. New York, 1909. 



THE ARAB HORSE 9 

quoted. An Arab chief was endeavoring to escape from an 
enemy while mounted on his favorite mare. The journey was a 
long and hard one, and while resting at noon the mare gave 
birth to a filly foal. The owner of the mare being hard pressed 
mounted and rode away, leaving the newborn colt, and after much 
difficulty reached his own people. To the utter surprise of all, 
the colt followed and reached the camp shortly after the arrival 
of her dam. She was given into the care of one of the old 
women of the tribe, whence her name Keheilet Ajuz (" the mare 
of the old woman "). This colt lived to become the most famous 
mare ever seen on the desert, and from her are descended the 
choicest of pure Arabian horses. The claim is made that nineteen 
families are descended from her, five through mares and fourteen 
through stallions. Some even believe that eight other families 
also should be credited to her. 

The Seglawi is descended from four great mares owned by a 
man of that name. Davenport, who classes this as one of the great 
Arabian families, states that Seglawi at his death gave his favorite 
mare to his brother Jedran, from which the name "Seglawi Jedran " 
is given this, the most popular branch of the Keheilet Ajuz family. 
Horses of this ancestry are said to be mostly bays in color, are 
possessed of the greatest speed of any Arab family, and in con- 
formation closely resemble the Thoroughbred. Davenport states ^ 
that the Darley Arabian, " perhaps the only Anezeh horse in our 
studbooks, was a Keheilan of the subfamily called Ras-el-Fadawi." 

The characteristics of the Arab horse. The Jicad represents 
very superior character and intelligence, the forehead being broad 
and prominent, and the head tapering toward the nose more 
than with other breeds. The nostrils are prominent, the eyes 
fairly so, the ears delicate and pointing inward, and the general 
head expression lean and representing high spirit. The neck is 
of medium length and sustains the head most gracefully. Captain 
Hayes states that the sJionlders of the Arab slope well, though 
from the saddle point of view they are often too thick, while the 
withers incline to be rather low and broad. The body is fairly 
short and is usually deeply ribbed, the back is well sustained, 
and the loins are broad and muscular. The cronp tends to be 

1 My Quest of the Arab Horse (1909), p. 259. 



lO THE HORSE, ASS, Ax\l) MULE 

high, sometimes making specimens of the breed appear higher 
here than at the withers. The tail sets high and is carried with 
style. The quarters are long and deep, but the gaskins and 
hocks hardly equal those of the Thoroughbred. The legs and 
feet are very superior. For his size the strength of the Arabian 
horse is remarkable, this being due in part to large development 
of muscle of loin and arm, whereby he becomes a superior 
burden carrier. The Arab has a great constitution and extraordi- 
nary staying power. He is not noted so much for speed as for 
endurance, as he is not nearly the equal of the Thoroughbred 
or American trotter for rapid speed. Yet the Arab will perform 
long journeys across country with comparative ease, such as 
require great staying power. In Jieiglit the Arab ranges from 
14 to 14] hands, so that he stands at the boundary line between 
pony and horse. Many of the most famous Arabs brought to 
England were ponies. Esa ben Curtas, a large importer of Arabs 
to Bombay, is credited with the statement that the best Arabs 
did not, as a rule, exceed 14 hands 1% inches to 14^- hands 
high. In color there is some variation, for there are bays, 
whites, grays, chestnuts, and blacks. No pure-bred Arabs are 
spotted or roan of color. Rowe gives the prevalence of the 
various colors as follows ^ : bay, 50 to 60 per cent ; chestnut, 
25 per cent; and gray or w'hite, 15 to 25 per cent. A black 
Arabian is exceedingly rare. 

The introduction of the Arab horse to America dates back many 
years. No doubt numerous horses called Arabian were not of 
that breed, but were of oriental ancestry. About 1765 an Arab 
stallion named Ranger was imported to New London, Connecticut. 
A half-bred, gray son of this horse was used by General \\' ashing- 
ton during the Revolutionary War. Ranger was later taken to 
V^irginia, where he became known as the Lindsay Arabian. In 
1838 a large consignment of both stallions and mares was brought 
to the United States by Commodore J. D. Elliott of the United 
States Navy. The first volume of Bruce's "American Studbook " 
(Thoroughbred) contains a list of 42 Arab stallions imported into 
the United States between 1760 and i860, besides 12 Arab 
mares, 4 Barb stallions, and 2 Barb marcs. About 1855 A. Keene 

1 /hrt-c/i'iw' Giizctlc, May 29, 1912. 



THE ARAB HORSE 



II 



Richards of Kentucky made a trip to Arabia with Troyon, the 
animal painter. They visited among the Anezah, and Richards 
brought back to America 3 stalHons and 2 mares. The stalhons 
were much used in service, and their blood occupies a place of 
prominence in the Gold Dust family of trotters. In 1893 a 
company of men brought several stallions and mares from near 
Damascus and exhibited at the World's Columbian Exposition at 
Chicago. Most of these horses later were lost in a fire, but one 




Fig. 5. Ilamrah 28, a bay Arab stallion, sire a Ilamdani, dam a Seglawi Jedran. 

Owned by Hingham Stock Farm, Hingham, Massachusetts. Photograph by 

Pictorial News Company 



of the finest, a gray mare known as Nedjma, was saved. In 1906 
Homer Davenport imported 10 mares and 17 stallions to his farm 
in New Jersey. J. A. P. Ramsdell of New York, Spencer Borden 
of Massachusetts, and Randolph Huntington of New York each 
owned imported Arabs of merit. 

The influence of the Arab horse upon the improvement of the 
present-day breeds is well recognized among students. As early 
as the reign of King James I of England (1603- 162 5) Arab 
horses were introduced into that country and crossed with light 
horses. Between 1 700 and 1 800 many oriental horses found their 



12 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

way to England, and these had a most important influence in 
improving the Thoroughbred. The so-called " Royal Mares," 
imported by Charles II (1660- 1685), became foundation stock in 
the best of British light-horse blood, their descendants attaining 
great distinction. From the Darley Arabian imported in 1706 
is descended the best of Hackney blood to-day. According to 
Joseph Osborne,^ since the time of James I 164 oriental sires of 
known record have been taken to England and used in service. 
This list includes 90 Arabs, 36 Barbs, 32 Turks, 4 Persians, and 
2 horses of unknown ancestry. Arab horses have also been 
used for centuries in improving the horses of continental Europe. 
Much of the quality produced in the early Percheron, it is claimed, 
came from the Arab, while the French have set a high value on 
this horse in producing half-breeds and improving coach horses. In 
1522 the Turks invaded Hungary five hundred thousand strong, 
which number, so history informs us, included three hundred 
thousand horsemen. With the defeat of the Mohammedans they 
were driven from the country, but they left large numbers of 
Arabian horses behind. Until the World War Arab horse blood 
had been in use in the stables of Hungary, and a Bedouin of 
the desert, thoroughly familiar with the breed, was attached to the 
Hungarian army as master of horse, his duty being to select 
the best Arabian horses for the royal studs. These studs were 
established in 1785. In addition to the royal studs, there were 
some 1 50 private studs, in which were to be found 5000 Arab 
mares of purest blood. Russia and Germany have also used the 
Arabian in the stud. It is said that in 1895 no less than 200 
Arab stallions belonging to the French government were at the 
free service of owners of mares in Algiers, Africa, this being a 
French colony. 

In recent years Major Upton maintained a pure Arab stud in 
England, as did Henry Chaplin, once Minister of Agriculture. 
Sir Wilfred Blunt and his wife. Lady Anne Blunt, in 1877 be- 
came interested in the Arab and brought to England from Arabia 
some choice pure-bred stallions and mares. They owned a stud 
in Egypt as well as in England, and about 1905 their Crabbet 
stud in England contained about 125 head. Reverend F. F. Vidal, 

1 The Horse Breeders' Handbook, London. (No date.) 



THE ARAB HORSE 13 

Sir Walter Gilbey, Miss Ethelred Dillon, and others have pro- 
moted -the Arab horse in England and maintained studs. 

Notable Arab horses of recent years were the stallions Kismet, 
Blitz, El Emir, Maidan, Kouch, Kars, Shahwan, Cunningham, 
Garaveen, and Himyarite. Kismet and Blitz had remarkable 
records in India as race horses. During 1883 and 1884 Kismet 
never lost a race or heat and won about $150,000 in money. 
Kismet was brought to England, where he not only raced but 
was used in the stud. In 1891 he was leased to Mr. Huntington 
of Oyster Bay, New York, and shipped to this country, but died 
two hours after landing. Maidan was foaled in 1869 at Nejd and 
was taken to India, where he attained fame as a race horse. After 
a remarkable career of many years as a cavalry and racing horse 
in India, he was taken to France and from there to England, 
where he lived to be twenty-three years old. Shahwan was a small 
white stallion imported from Cairo by the Blunts and sold to 
J. A. P. Ramsdell. He was very beautiful, but died before his 
value in the stud could be determined. Notable Arab mares were 
Hagar, Haidee, Naomi, Rodania, Kesia, and Nazli. Hagar was 
a Keheilet Ajuz and was purchased at Aleppo when five years 
of age and taken to England by the Blunts. She produced thir- 
teen foals and died in 1898, at twenty-five years of age, one of 
the greatest Arab mares ever imported to England. Haidee was 
imported by the Uptons and left one foal, Naomi, after which she 
died. Naomi became the property of Mr. Vidal, who, in 1888, sold 
her to Randolph Huntington. She had twelve foals, four in 
England and eight in America, and died at twenty-two years of 
age, famous as a remarkable dam. Nazli was a daughter of Naomi, 
sired by Maidan. She produced a number of high-class sons and 
daughters. 

The value of the Arab in crossbreeding has been very notable. 
Wherever used he has transmitted constitution, quality, intelli- 
gence, and style in a marked degree. His value to horse stock 
in the past has undoubtedly been important, especially in the 
earlier stages of breed development. Not only this, but European 
governments, even of to-day, recognize the value of an Arabian 
cross to instill the qualities above referred to into depleted stock. 
As an example of this crossing, in 1899 it is stated that the 



14 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

French government mated sixty Thoroughbred mares with pure 
Arabian staUions at the national stud at Pompadour. The object 
was to obtain Anglo-Arab stallions for service in the government 
studs. These crossbred stallions are usually placed in low, soft 
districts, where the horses are coarse and of inferior bone. The 
progeny from such stallions have more refinement and quality 
than those obtained by other matings. At the present time one 
important use for Arab sires is breeding to Welsh, New Forest, 
Exmoor, or similar ponies to produce crossbreds for polo playing. 
In 191 3 fifteen Arabian stallions were shipped to West Virginia 
to be used on farm mares in the blue-grass counties of that state. ^ 
The present-day recognition of the Arab horse in America is 
very slight. The breed is not popular among horsemen, and 
although for many years efforts have been made to interest the 
people in Arabs, but very few are to be found on the American 
continent. The argument advanced is that our own American 
saddle horses are far superior to the Arab for riding in the 
saddle, while for speed in harness nothing compares with our 
trotter or pacer. In the opinion of most horsemen there is 
no special place or use for the Arab in America. The advocates 
of the Arab regard him as a premier saddle horse or pony and 
assign him large credit in the development of the breeds of light 
horses. " The Arab horse is par excellence the general utility 
animal," writes H. K. Bush-Brown,^ "and as such has no equal 
because of his intelligence, docility, fleetness, and endurance, and 
his strong back makes him the best weight carrier in the world." 
Professor H. F. Osborn states that'^ "the unpopularity of the 
Arab in some quarters is due to mistakes which have been made 
in breeding and environment or nurture. It is impossible to rear 
the Arab and preserve it true to type without regard to the hardy 
conditions in feeding methods and environment of the semi-desert 
regions of Arabia where these animals were originally bred." In 
his opinion the chief value of the Arab to-day will be in giving a 
finish to cavalry stock and the saddle type in general, " but the 
mixture can only be made in the most scientific manner." 

^ Breeders' Gazette, May 21, 191 3. 

2 Arabian National Studbook, Vol. I (191 3), p. 9- 

* Ibid. p. 3. 




Fig. 6. A county map of England, on which will be found points of interest 
connected with the ancestry and development of many breeds 



i6 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

Societies for promoting Arab horses are found in various coun- 
tries. In the United States Arab horses are registered in " The 
American Thoroughbred Studbook." The " General Studbook of 
Great Britain " serves the same purpose in that country. In 1908 
the Arabian Horse Club of America was incorporated, and Vol- 
ume I of the "Arabian National Studbook " was published in 191 3. 
This contains the registration of one hundred and twenty-seven 
Arabs and sixty-eight Americo-Arabs. In addition to registering 
pure Arabs, this association registers, under certain conditions, 
crosses with Thoroughbreds, trotters, " Kentucky saddle horses," 
Morgans, and Clays. 



CHAPTER III 

THE THOROUGHBRED 

The history of the Thoroughbred is so closely associated with 
the improvement of the modern horse that much consideration 
should be given it. 

The horse in England prior to Queen Elizabeth's reign was 
mainly of the draft type, coarse and strong. We know little of 
his general merits. He was used in war for chariots and as a 
saddle horse. The early Romans brought horses to England in 
the fifth century, and so did the succeeding Normans and others. 
Early in the thirteenth century King John imported one hundred 
stallions from Flanders. It is related that during the fourteenth 
century Edward III brought to England over fifty Spanish horses 
at a cost of over eight hundred dollars each. Henry VIII main- 
tained a royal stud, had laws enacted regarding horse breeding, 
and imported from Turkey, Spain, and Italy. Yet during all these 
years the prevailing horses were burden bearers with the exception 
of a few of greater speed, known as running horses. The use of 
heavy armor in the army had justified breeding a horse of this type. 

Systematic horse racing in England was first introduced by 
James I. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth (15 58-1603) the 
use of armor grew to be unpopular, though the use of horses 
changed but little. James I, succeeding Elizabeth, was not war- 
like in temperament, and the use of armor passed away during 
his reign. Not only this, but James established the race course, 
gave attention to horse breeding, and imported from the Orient. 
He established a code of regulations from which the modern 
race course has derived its foundation. James imported from the 
Orient through an English merchant named Markham, an Arabian 
stallion for which he paid five hundred pounds (^2500). This 
horse was much ridiculed and played no special part in improving 
racing stock. About 16 17 Sir Thomas Edmunds brought to 
England six Barb stallions which were bred to English mares. 

17 



1 8 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

Charles I (1625-1649), the son of James I, estabhshed racing at 
Newmarket and Hyde Park. Charles II is regarded by British 
authorities as the leading promoter of horse racing following the 
time of Henry VIII. He brought many horses from the Orient 
and was a pioneer in establishing the Thoroughbred as a breed. 
Two Barb mares which Charles II imported became famous 
among the brood mares of England, and were named the 
" Royal Mares." 

Horse racing and the race track in Great Britain have thus 
been institutions from early times, and since the day of James I 
(1 566-1625) every British ruler has patronized the race course 
and promoted horse breeding. The most noted race course in 
England is that at Newmarket, established in 1667. On this 
course in May, July, and October are held notable racing events, 
of which the Two Thousand Guineas stake is the most famous. 
What are known as the classic races of England, in the order of 
their occurrence, are the Two Thousand Guineas, One Thousand 
Guineas, Derby,i Oaks, and St. Leger. The Derby, the most 
noted of these, was established at Epsom in 1780 and has been 
held each year since until 191 5, when it was discontinued until 
after the World War. The race as run in England and generally 
elsewhere in western Europe is with a jockey in the saddle, the 
gait being at a gallop, which is the fastest speed produced by 
the horse. The course is a closely cropped sod ; hence the name of 
" the turf," as applied to the European race track. The length of 
the course and its form vary more or less. In 1892 Curzon 
wrote,^ "There are thirty-one different race courses at Newmarket, 
ranging from a little over a furlong (40 rods, or one eighth of a 
mile) to the Beacon course of four miles." The Derby race is 
over a course i mile 4 furlongs 29 yards. Four miles is rarely 
run. A popular distance is one and one-fourth or one and 
one-half miles. 

The early improvement of the Thoroughbred dates back several 
hundred years. Since the time of James I about one hundred 
and sixty-four oriental sires have been imported into England. 
The keen desire for a running horse and the race track have 

1 In England pronounced as though spelled Darby. 

2 Henry Curzon, A Mirror of the Turf. 



THE THOROUGHBRED 19 

resulted in the development of the Thoroughbred, which for two 
hundred years or more has been bred with considerable purity. 

Three early oriental horses introduced into England during the 
formative period of the Thoroughbred exercised a most important 
influence. These were the following : 

1 . The GodolpJiin Barb, also known as Godolphin Arabian, was 
probably foaled in Barbary about 1724. Later he found his way 
to France and for a time was used to haul a water cart. About 
1728 he was taken to England and presented to Lord Godolphin, 
who always insisted that the horse was an Arabian. He was used 
in the stud with great success. His blood contributes in a most 
important degree to founding the Thoroughbred. 

2. The Byej'ly Turk, the saddle horse of Captain Byerly, used 
later in the seventeenth century in the wars of William in Ireland, 
was probably brought to England in 1689. He was very famous 
as a sire, and horses descended from him are known as Byerly 
Turk horses. Of the famous Thoroughbred sires in England a 
few years ago, sixty are direct descendants of this horse. 

3. The Darlcy Arabian, supposed to be a pure Maneghi Arabian, 
was bought at Aleppo, Syria, by Mr. Brewster Darley, as a gift 
to his brother Mr. John B. Darley of Aldby Park, near York. 
This horse was brought to England in 1706. He was a dark 
bay in color, with a blaze on face and white on three feet, and 
stood about 1 5 hands high. To the Darley Arabian can be traced 
the choicest of Thoroughbred blood. 

These three oriental horses preceded the development of the 
Thoroughbred, yet their blood had a most potent influence in 
establishing the breed which followed. 

Three early English Thoroughbred sires of great prepotency, 
important in establishing the breed, stand out as really great an- 
cestors of the modern speed horse. They are the following : 

I. Herod {King Herod). This horse was foaled in 1758 and 
was bred by the Duke of Cumberland, a brother of George H. 
He was used on the race course for a time and was then retired 
to the stud. He is said to have sired four hundred and ninety- 
seven prize winners on various race courses, and it is estimated 
that they won for their owners ;^20 1,505, or over one million 
dollars. Herod was a direct descendant of the Byerly Turk. 



20 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

2. Matchcm. One of the important sons of the Godolphin 
Barb was named Cade. He proved to be an indifferent race 
horse, but a great sire owing to his superior blood and confor- 
mation. Matchem, his best-known son, became a great racer as 
well as a prominent sire. It is stated that he made a record on 
the Beacon course at the rate of a mile in 1:44. He also became 
well known for the excellence of his progeny in speed quality, for 
he sired three hundred and fifty-four sons and daughters that were 
winners of races. Matchem was foaled in 1748 and died in 1781. 

3. Eclipse. The Darley Arabian was the sire of two great 
horses in their day — notably Flying Childers (also known as The 
Devonshire) and Bartlett's Childers. The former was a chestnut 
horse with four white feet and was the fastest horse on the 
English turf up to his time. Bartlett's Childers was never trained 
to race, but was used in the stud instead. A grandson of his, 
named Marske, bred to the mare Spiletta, was the sire of Eclipse, 
foaled in 1764 during a great eclipse, from which he takes his 
name. From two points of view this horse may be regarded as 
perhaps the greatest in history — one as a racer, the other as a 
progenitor of racers. He was bred by the Duke of Cumberland, 
and at the sale of his stud brought 75 guineas. He was five years 
old before going on the turf, running first at Epsom. In his 
second race, at York, he distanced his competitors. In 1769 
Dennis O'Kelly bought him for 1650 guineas ($8250). As a 
racer he distanced some of the best horses of his time. Finally, 
as no one would race against him, he closed his racing career of 
seventeen months by walking over the Newmarket race course 
for the King's Plate in October, 1770. In 1779 O'Kelly was 
asked by one of the Bedford family for his price on Eclipse, and 
he replied that "all Bedford Level would not purchase him." 
From another person he asked $125,000 and an annuity of 
$2500 for life. 

Eclipse won eleven King's Plates, and O'Kelly cleared ^25,000 
on him. In historical descriptions of this horse he is said to have 
been about 15^ hands high; his shoulders were very low and 
oblique and thick above, while he stood high behind. He had a 
great loin, very long quarters, powerful and long thighs and fore- 
arms, and his stride was very wide. He was so thick winded 



THE THOROUGHBRED 21 

that he could be heard some distance. He was of fine disposition, 
and in a race he took his own gait, rushing along with his head 
down, indifferent to his jockeys, who found it impossible to hold 
him in. Eclipse sired three hundred and thirty-four winners of 
races. He died in 1789, aged twenty-five years. This horse was 
a direct descendant of the Darley Arabian, and the very best of 
British and American racing-horse blood traces its source from 
these two great sires. 

Of these three English-bred stallions Eclipse as a breeder 
was most important, especially in the male line of descent, while 
Matchem was least so. The influence of both the oriental and 
English sires on the creation of the Thoroughbred as a breed 
has been very profound, but without doubt numerous females 
have had an important part. However, much less is known 
of the personality and breeding of the mares than of the sires. 
C. Bruce Lowe, in an elaborate study of speed lines of many great 
Thoroughbreds, compiles a list of forty-four important foundation 
mares. At the head of that list he places first TregonweW s 
Natural Barb Mare ; second. Burton s Barb Mare ; third. Dam 
of ttvo True Blues. 

The origin of the Thoroughbred commences with the union 
of Arabian, Barb, and Turkish blood with the lighter type of 
English horse. From this amalgamation came great stamina, 
remarkable speed, unusual endurance, and great symmetry of 
form. No other European breed of horses at the present time 
shows so much purity of breeding as does the Thoroughbred, 
notwithstanding the early combination of blood. For many years 
animals recorded in the "' General Studbook " have been regarded 
as free of all impure breeding. 

The conformation of the Thoroughbred is distinctive. The Jicad 
should be fine and lean and moderately small, bearing evidence 
of quality and breeding ; eyes prominent and intelligent ; ears of 
medium size, not too wide apart, and carried in a lively manner. 
The neck should be long, the upper part from withers to poll 
being about twice as long as the lower part from point of shoulder 
:to larynx, and strongly muscular. The shoulders ^o\AA slope 
obliquely back to a notable degree, be strongly muscled, and 
extend back to form high, fairly close, long withers ; no collar 



22 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



heaviness should be noticeable. The chest tends to narrow rather 
than broad conformation, with good depth, yet able authorities 
prefer a broad rather than deep and narrow chest. The body 
should be somewhat circular in type, with a depth at the withers 
rather less than half the height, with a length equal to the height 
at withers and croup ; the back and loins should be comparatively 
broad, level, and muscular ; the ribs well sprung and of enough 




Fig. 7. Hanover, a Thoroughbred stalhon foaled in 18S4. A famous runner, 

starting in fifty races, winning thirty-two, securing $120,912 in prize money- 

The leading sire of prize winners from 1895 t^ 1898 inclusive. From photograph 

by courtesy of the Tho^vtighbred Record 

depth to show good feeding capacity. The croup is carried high 
and tends to be long, rather level, curving gracefully, with the tail 
attached medium high. The hind quarter is one of the features 
of the Thoroughbred, being long and strongly muscled, exhibiting 
great driving power ; the gaskins, or lower thighs, should be 
broad. The/<?r<? leg should be muscular and strong in arm and 
long and wide in forearm, with comparatively little width between 



THE THOROUGHBRED 23 

the legs. A rather broad, strong knee, supported by a short, flat 
cannon bone extending well back, is desirable. The Jiind leg at 
the hocks ought to be deep, clean, free from fleshiness, and be 
supported by a short, flat, clean cannon bone. The pastern joint 
should be smooth, placed true, and in harmony with the leg as a 
whole. The pasterns should be rather long and slanting, yet 
strong, clean, and springy, being carried at an angle of about 
45 degrees. The feet should be of medium size, wide and high 
at the heel, concave below, and be carried straight and true. In 
order to secure speed it is essential that the knees and hocks 
move smoothly and freely and that this movement be true. The 
gait of the Thoroughbred is essentially the gallop, which horses 
of this breed show to perfection. 

The height of the Thoroughbred ranges from I4| to 16 i hands, 
but 15 to 15,^- is most approved. It is probable that this breed 
has increased in height with its development. About the middle 
of the last century Rous asserted that the breed had increased a 
hand in height during the preceding hundred years. Sir Walter 
Gilbey states that ' ' from an average height of 1 4 hands in 1 700 
the breed has been graded up to an average of 1 5 hands 2|- inches 
in the year 1900." 

The weight of the Thoroughbred is quite variable, but in gen- 
eral ranges from 900 to 1050 pounds. 

The color of the Thoroughbred is variable. Bays and browns 
are quite general and most popular, though chestnuts frequently 
occur, while blacks, grays, and roans may be found. 

The temperament of the Thoroughbred is nervous and mettle- 
some, this horse being endowed with great spirit and endurance 
in the race. Frequently riders have great difficulty in restraining 
their horses at the opening of a race, so impatient are they to 
make the start. 

A list of famous British Thoroughbreds might include a large 
number of animals. The following horses have attained great 
fame on the British turf and may be regarded as among the very 
best representatives of the breed. This brief list, which covers 
nearly one hundred and fifty years, gives the date of foaling and 
the name of sire and dam in each case: Squirt, 1732, by Bart- 
lett's Childers, out of the Snake mare ; Fot-8-os, 177},, by Eclipse, 



24 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

out of Sportsmistress ; Woodpecker, 1773, by Herod, out of Mis- 
fortune; Highflyer, 1774, by Herod, out of Rachael ; Sir Peter 
Teazle (also known as Sir Peter), 1784, by Highflyer, out of 
Papillon ; Waxy, 1790, by Pot-8-os, out of Maria by Herod; 
Whalebone, 1 807, by Waxy, out of Penelope ; Tramp, 1 8 1 o, by 
Dick Andrews, dam by Gohanna ; Whisker, 181 2, by Waxy, out 
of Penelope; Sir Hercules, 1826, by Whalebone, out of Peri; 
ToucJistone, 183 1, by Camel, out of Banter; Irish Bird CatcJier, 
1833, by Sir Hercules, out of Guiccioli ; Gladiator, 1833, by 
Partisan, out of Pauline; Fajigh-a-Ballagh, 1841, by Sir Her- 
cules, out of Guiccioli; Orlando, 1841, by Touchstone, out of 
Vulture ; The Baron, 1842, by Irish Bird Catcher, out of Echidna ; 
Stockivell, 1849, by The Baron, out of Pocahontas; Kingston, 
1849, by Venison, out of Queen Anne; King Tom, 185 1, by 
Harkaway, out of Pocahontas; Blair Athol, 1861, by Stockwell, 
out of Blink Bonny ; Hermit, 1864, by Newminster, out of Seclu- 
sion ; Robert The Devil, 1877, by Bertram, out of Cast Off; 
Bend Or, 1878, by Doncaster, out of Rouge Rose; St. Simon, 
1 88 1, by Gallopin, out of St. Angela; Isinglass, 1890, by Ison- 
omy, out of Deadlock; Persimmon, 1893, by St. Simon, out of 
Perdita H; Flying Fox, 1896, by Orme, out of Vampire; 
Diamond Jubilee, 1897, by St. Simon; Rock Sand, 1900, by 
Sainfoin, out of Roquebrune. 

Importations of Thoroughbreds to America were made at a 
comparatively early date, and some of the most famous horses of 
the breed found their way to the United States during the eight- 
eenth century. The first to come to America is said to have been 
the horse BuUe Rock, imported to Virginia in 1730. Diomed, 
winner of the first Derby ever run, was imported in 1 799 at twenty- 
two years of age. Messenger, imported in 1788 as a Thoroughbred 
to improve the running horse, became a distinguished progenitor 
of trotters. Fearnought (1775), Buzzard (1787), Shark (1771), 
Alderman (1787), Pantaloon (1778), Highflyer (1784), Saltram 
(1780), and Matchem (1773) represent eminent early importations. 
The men of Virginia, South Carolina, Maryland, and Kentucky, 
from very early days, showed great interest in Thoroughbreds and 
promoted the race track. In 1665 the first track in America, 
known as the Newmarket course, was established at Hempstead 



THE THOROUGHBRED 25 

Plains, Long Island, New York, by Governor Nicolls. In 1 760 a 
Newmarket course was also established at Charleston, South 
Carolina. Among the many Thoroughbreds imported to America 
since the opening of the nineteenth century, the following are 
noteworthy: Sarpedon, 1828, by Emilius, out of Icaria ; Glencoe, 
1831, by Sultan, out of Trampoline; Leamingtoji, 1853, by 
Faugh-a-Ballagh, out of Daughter of b.m. ; Bonnie Scotland, 
i^53> by lago, out of Queen Mary; Australian, 1858, by West 
Australian, out of Emilia; Phaeton, 1865, by King Tom, out of 
Merry Sunshine ; Prince Charlie, 1 869, by Blair Athol, out of 
Eastern Princess; Rayo7i d' Or, 1876, by Flageolet, out of Aura- 
caria ; St. Blaise, 1880, by Hermit, out of Fusee; Kingston, 
1882, by Flageolet; Ormonde, 1884, by Bend Or, out of Lily 
Agnes; Sysonby, 1901, by Melton, out of Optime. 

Thoroughbreds of American breeding that have attained great 
prominence date from about 1800, but this list is not a long 
one. The following are of special distinction, though others of 
merit might be mentioned: Sir Arc hy, 1805, by Diomed, out of 
Castianira ; American Eclipse, 18 14, by Duroc, out of Miller's 
Damsel ; Boston, 1833, by Timoleon, out of Sister to Tuckahoe ; 
Lexington, 1850, by Boston, out of Alice Carneal ; Norfolk, 
i860, by Lexington, out of Novice ; Longfellow, 1867, by Leam- 
ington, out of Nantura ; Parole, 1874, by Leamington, out of 
Maiden; Llimyar, 1875, by Alarm, out of Hira ; Luke Black- 
bjirn, 1877, by Bonnie Scotland, out of Nevada; Iroquois, 1878, 
by Leamington, out of Maggie B.B. ; The Bard, 1883, by Long- 
fellow, out of Brademante ; Firend, 1884, by Glenelg, out of 
Florida; Hanover, 1884, by Hindoo, out of Bourbon Belle; Sal- 
vator, 1886, by Prince Charlie, out of Salina ; Hamburg, 1891, 
by Hanover, out of Lady Reel. 

Thoroughbred sires of winners on the course vary greatly in 
degrees of distinction. Many sires have but small opportunity, 
owing to short lives or to being owned by men who have no oppor- 
tunity to use them in the stud in an important degree. The 
horse Lexington was one of the greatest sires in the history of 
the American turf, and during seven different years his progeny 
were the leading winners. In twenty-one seasons he sired 600 
horses, of which 236 were winners of races. During fifteen years 



26 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

his offspring won a total of $1,159,321. Two imported horses, 
Leamington and Bonnie Scotland, left a strong impress on run- 
ning horse blood. Leamington was used in the stud in England 
and in 1865 was purchased for $7500 by Mr. Cameron and 
brought to America. Miss Theo, by Leamington, was a noted 
brood mare, and Parole, a son, was a famous racer. Hanover, by 
Hindoo, was one of the more recent great American-bred sires, 
being foaled in 1884. He not only possessed great speed but 




Fig. 8. Lamplighter, a Thoroughbred racer and sire in the stud of Milton Young, 

Lexington, Kentucky. One of the leading sires of 1904 and 1905 winners. From 

photograph by the author 

transmitted this quality to many sons and daughters. The horse 
Kingston, that died in 191 2 at twenty-nine years of age, raced 
for nine years and sired many winners. 

The speed record of the Thoroughbred is faster than that of 
any other horse. Races with this breed are run under the saddle, 
with jockeys up. A light, skillful jockey is needed in the saddle. 
A very satisfactory jockey weight is 1 10 to 115 pounds, but many 
great races have been won with weight up to 125 pounds. The 
fastest record by a Thoroughbred up to 191 8 was that of i:35| 
by Salvator on a straightaway track of one mile, in 1890, at 
Monmouth Park, New Jersey. However, on August 21, 19 18, the 
horse Roamer at Saratoga, New York, reduced the record to i:34|- 
On the Harlem standard track, in 1903, Dick Wells ran a mile 
in i:37|. Only a few days before Alan-a-Dale had passed around 



THE THOROUGHBRED 



27 



the Washington Park track, making the mile in i:37|. In 1910 
Fashion Plate made a mile in 1:37 j in the Metropolitan Handicap, 
which record was again equaled in the same race in 19 14 by 
Buskin. The above are the fastest mile records up to 19 19 in- 
clusive. In 1855 Lexington ran four miles in 7:i9|, winning 
;^20,ooo in a race against time. In 1876 Ten Broeck, in a race 
against time, lowered the four-mile record to 7:1 5 1. This same 
year he made a mile in i:39|, which was the record for about 
thirteen years. In 1881 Luke Blackburn, a very famous runner, 
then four years old, made a mile at Jerome Park in 1:45. In 
1880 he also made a record of 2:34 for a mile and a half, which 
was not lowered for many years. 

Thoroughbred records of the English Derby are regarded as of 
first importance. The winners from 1900 to the present day 
have furnished some of the most remarkable speed in the history 
of that historic course. The following are the more recent records : 



Year 


i Name of Horse 


Sire 


Time 


1900 


Diamond Jubilee 


St. Simon 


2 


42 


I90I 


Volodyovski 


Florizel 


2 


40f 


1902 


Ard Patrick 


St. Florian 


2 


44 


1903 


Rock Sand 


Sainfoin 


2 


42f 


1904 


St. Amant 


Frusquin 


2 


42f 


1905 


Cicero 


Cyllene 


2 


39l 


1906 


Spearmint 


Carbine 


2 


36I 


1907 


Orby 


Orme 


2 


44 


1908 


Signorinetta 


Chaleureux 


2 


39* 


1909 


Minoru 


Cyllene 


'■> 


42| 


I910 


Lembergi 


Cyllene 


2 


35* 


I9II 


Sunstar 


Sunbridge 


2 


36I 


I912 


Tagalic 


Cyllene 


2 


38* 


1913 


Aboyeur 


Desmond 


2 


.)7f 


19142 


Durbar II 


Rabelais 


2 


38 



Thoroughbred records on the American turf of special interest 
are those made in the F"uturity and in the Suburban Handicap, 
Sheepshead Bay, New York ; the Brooklyn Handicap, Grave- 
send, New York ; the Metropolitan Handicap, Belmont Park, 
New York ; the Brighton Handicap, Brighton Beach, New York ; 



^ Record time. 



- 1915, 1916, 1917, 191S, abandoned owing to the war. 



28 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



the Excelsior Handicap, Jamaica, New York ; and the Saratoga 
Handicap, Saratoga, New York. During the winter season running 
races are conducted in the South, more especially at New Orleans. 
The following are the more recent winning records of the 
Suburban Handicap, over a course of one and one-fourth miles, 
and of the Futurity, over a course of six furlongs. 

Suburban Handicap 



Year 


Name of Horse 


Time 


Value of Purse 


1904 


Ilermis 


2:05 


$16,800 


1905 


Beldame 


2:05 J 


1 6,800 


1906 


Go-Between 


2:051 


16,800 


1907 


Nealon 


2:o6| 


1 6,800 


1908 


Ballot 


2:03 


19.750 


1909 


Fitz Herbert 


2:03f 


3,850 


1910 


Olambala 


2:041 


6,000 


1913 


Whisk Broom II 


2:00 


3,000 


1915^ 


Stromboli 


2:05* 


5,000 



The Futurity 



Year 


Name of Horse 


Time 


Value of Purse 


1904 


Artful 


I:ll4 


$42,880 


1905 


Ormondale 


i:ii4 


38,680 


1906 


Electioneer 


1:13! 


37.270 


1907 


Colin 


I:lli 


24,830 


1908 


Maskette 


l:lli 


24,985 


1909 


Sweep 


l:llf 


25,710 


I9IO 


Novelty 


l:12l 


10,000 


1913 


Pennant 


1:15 


1 5,000 


1914 


Trojan 


i:i61 


16,010 


1915 


Thunderer 


i:iii 


23.450 



Thoroughbred winnings in money, prior to the World War, 
amounted to ver}' large sums. This is brought out by Lieutenant 
R. M. Danford in a striking way, in the following reference ^ to 
the Castleton Stud of Kentucky, long owned by James R. Keene, 
one of the greatest promoters of the Thoroughbred : 

1 Not run in 1914. 

2 Bit and Spur, February, 191 2. 



THE THOROUGHBRED 29 

The first five names on the Hst of America's greatest winning races horses 
are Domino $193,550, Sysonby $184,430, Colin $180,912, Ballot $154,545 
and Kingston $141,823. Sysonby was imported in utero and raised on the 
farm. On the list of great American winners are the following horses bred at 
the farm: Peter Pan, with $1 16,450 ; Delhi, with $1 15,640 ; Maskette, with 
$77,090; Novelty, with $72,630; and Commando, with $58,196. These, 
together with numerous turf stars of less brilliancy, placed Mr. Keene at the 
head of the list of winning owners in America in 1905, 1906, 1907, and 1908, 
and in 1907 made him the world's rt'ft^rc/ winning owner, having that year to 
his credit the remarkable sum of $406,591. The next largest winning owner 
is the Duke of Portland, who, in 1889, won on the English turf an amount 
equal to $365,872.63. The winnings of the farm [Castleton] have exceeded the 
enormous sum of $2,000,000. 

Prices paid for Thoroughbred horses have reached higher 
figures than for any other breed. In 191 3 J. B. Joel paid about 
$200,000 for Prince Palatine (sire, Persimmon ; dam, Lady 
Lightfoot), the winner in 191 1 of the St. Leger and in 1912 of 
the Ascot gold cup, Eclipse stakes, Doncaster cup, and the 
Jockey Club stakes. Also in 191 3 Edmund Blanc of France 
paid $200,000 for White Knight, by Desmond, owned by 
W. R. Wynham of England. In 1904 Flying Fox, at the sale 
of the Duke of Westminster, sold for $187,500. In 191 2 Rock 
Sand, that had cost August Belmont $125,000, was sold by him 
at thirteen years of age for $ 1 50,000. Diamond Jubilee, Ormonde, 
and Cyllene also each sold for $150,000. Commenting on the 
high prices paid for Thoroughbreds, Mr. J. I. Teasdale says : ^ 

At a sale in Sydney, Australia, in Easter week ( 1 9 1 o), 38 5 yearlings were sold for 
an average of over $972 each. At the DoncaSter yearling sales in September, 1 9 1 1 , 
298 lots averaged $1905. In Argentina recently 188 yearlings sold at an aver- 
age of nearly $6500; 12 Cyllene colts made an average of $15,000, and 8 
fillies made an average of $7500. Thirteen Polar Star colts made an average 
of $9500, and 10 fillies averaged $6000. Seven colts and 7 fillies by Diamond 
Jubilee fetched respectively an average of $8000 and $4000. Fourteen Jardy 
colts reached an average of $10,000, and 6 fillies an average of $5000. The 
Vale d'Or colts averaged $4500, the 10 fillies $5000. 

The distribution of the Thoroughbred is world-wide in regions 
where the Caucasian race prevails and where horses are kept for 
racing purposes. England is the native home of the breed, but 

1 Breeders'' Gazette, November 22, 191 1. 



30 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

to-day it is bred in all Great Britain, France has long maintained 
noted studs of Thoroughbreds, while Germany, Austria- Hungary, 
Italy, Russia, Argentina, and the United States have had important 
studs. 

A Thoroughbred studbook, known as the " General Studbook 
of Great Britain," is published in England. It is interesting to 
note that "An Introduction to a General Studbook" was pub- 
lished in 1 79 1, while in 1808 there was published the first vol- 
ume of " The General Stud-Book, containing pedigrees of Race 
Horses, etc., etc., from the earliest accounts to the year 1807, 
inclusive." This was the first pedigree book of any kind up to 
this time. This publication has been continued ever since under 
the same title of the " General Studbook," being published in 
London. In America " The American Thoroughbred Studbook " 
is published by the American Jockey Club, with headquarters 
in New York. Studbooks for this breed are also published in 
France and Argentina. 



CHAPTER IV 

THE AMERICAN SADDLE HORSE 

The native home of the American saddle horse embraces the 
more fertile sections of the states of Virginia, Kentucky, Ten- 
nessee, and Missouri. Within latitudes 35°— 38° N. and includ- 
ing a distance westward from the Virginia coast of almost one 
thousand miles, we find the territory within which this compara- 
tively new breed has been developed. Amid blue-grass fields and 
in the hands of the better-class farmers and horse lovers of the 
South, the American saddle horse has reached a high stage of 
perfection. Much of this improvement has been brought about 
in Kentucky ; hence the common term "' Kentucky saddle horse." 
Lexington, Kentucky, has long been regarded as the great center 
of breed activity. 

The ancestry of the American saddle horse involves several 
rather distinct families of American-bred horses and one long- 
established British breed, the Thoroughbred. Early in the history 
of Kentucky — when railroads were unknown and bridle paths, 
trails, and poor roads were common — horseback riding was not 
only necessary but universal. The early saddle horses were hard- 
gaited, and this resulted in the selection of the better type of 
Thoroughbreds, easy of gait and light of foot, some of which 
found their way into Kentucky from Virginia. Mares with an 
ambling, or slow-pacing, gait were sought for and found many 
years ago, and to them Thoroughbred saddle stallions of easy 
movement were bred. The pacing blood came in part from 
Canada and New England and so involved some Morgan breed- 
ing. Thus, by selection there developed a class of very easy- 
gaited saddlers. The significance of Thoroughbred blood in this 
early development is brought out in striking manner, as shown 
in the blood lines in Volume I of the " American Saddle Horse 
Studbook," based on investigations of John H. Ward. 

31 



32 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



In the 1081 horses registered we find the following Thor- 
oughbred blood : 



Pure-bred Thoroughbreds 

Containing 50 per cent Thoroughbred blood 
Containing 25 per cent Thoroughbred blood 
Containing 1 2I per cent Thoroughbred blood 
Containing 6^ per cent Thoroughbred blood 
Containing 3 per cent Thoroughbred blood 

Uncertain breedings 

Total 



2 horses 
50 horses 
296 horses 
3'43 horses 
152 horses 
36 horses 
202 horses 



1 08 1 horses 



The foundation stock of the American saddle horse, as agreed 
upon by the American Saddle Horse Breeders' Association, after 
years of careful investigation and as revised in 1902, consists of 
the following ten stallions : 

Denmark (Thoroughbred), by imp. Hedgeford 
John Dillard, by Indian Chief (Canadian) 
To}n //^?/ (imported from Canada) 
CabeWs Lexington, by Gist's Black Hawk (Morgan) 
Coleman's Eureka (Thoroughbred and Morgan) 
Van Meter's Waxy (Thoroughbred) 
Stutnp-The-Dealer(Thoro\ig]\hred) 
Peter's Halcorn, Thoroughbred on sire's side 
Davy Ci'ockett 
Pat Cleburne, by Benton's Gray Diomed 



The value of the Thoroughbred in developing the American 
saddle horse is set forth in the Breeders Gazette in interesting 
manner by the late Charles L. Railey, long noted as a leader in 
the improvement of the saddle horse. After referring to the 
hard gait of the Thoroughbred, he says : 

In a life experience I do not recall one high-class saddle horse that was strictly 
a Thoroughbred. I have bought many beautiful specimens of the Thorough- 
bred, and tried faithfully to develop a saddle horse, only to find disastrous 
failure in each instance. The Kentucky breeder long ago realized that the 
Thoroughbred horse was the foundation from which to build for fineness of 
head and neck, obliquity of shoulders, texture of coat, quality of bone and fluted 
leg ; and while retaining these qualities, added to them a higher carriage of 
head, more action, a more docile temperament, and from this idea was evolved 
the saddle-bred horse of Kentucky. 



THE AMERICAN SADDLE HORSE 



33 



The characteristics of the American saddle horse are similar 
in many respects to those found in the roadster of superior con- 
formation. However, he is notable for his beautiful head and 
expressive eye, a gracefully arched and well-proportioned neck, 
fairly high and refined withers, a short, strong back, well suited 
to the saddle, a long, rather level croup, and high-set, arched tail. 
The body should be round and neatly turned, and the shoulders 
and pasterns must be long and sloping, as necessary factors in 
an easy, springy gait. 
Not infrequently these 
horses appear to lack 
in depth of rib and 
so seem somewhat 
upstanding. This is 
essentially a stylish 
breed, as shown in 
the jaunty carriage of 
head, neck, and tail, 
and as evidenced in 
the nervous tempera- 
ment commonly seen 
in American saddle 
horses of good breed- 
ing. "' From an artistic 
point of view," writes 
Gay,^ "he is perhaps 
the most beautiful of 
all horses, being the 
extreme embodiment of quality and finish, an ideal which has 
been fostered by the so-called ' model ' classes of Southern shows. 
Some have been bred so very fine, however, as to be markedly 
deficient in substance." 

The size of the American saddle horse is comparable with 
that of the average roadster. In height 15^ to I5| hands may 
be regarded with favor, while the weight should vary between 
1000 to 1 1 50 pounds. For ladies the lighter type is preferred, 
while for heavy weights the larger horse is more desirable. An 

1 Carl W. Gay, Productive Horse Husbandry. Philadelphia, 1913. 




Fig. 9. Woodland Chief 2958, an American saddle 
horse at twenty-one years of age. From photo- 
graph by Professor J. J. Hooper 



34 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

average height may be placed at 15.^ hands, and a large percentage 
of these horses weigh about 1050 pounds. 

The color of the American saddle horse is of several shades. 
Brown, bay, black, and chestnut are common, while gray is much 
less so. Some families tend more to one color than another, 
as, for example, with the Denmarks black is predominant, while 
with the Chiefs chestnut prevails. Color is not regarded as of 
prime importance. 

The gaits of the saddle horse are especially distinctive. Sad- 
dlers may be divided into two classes : ( i ) the walk-trot-canter 
horse, having gaits commonly found in all saddlers ; and (2) the 
American saddle horse in particular, having the walk, trot, canter, 
rack, and the running walk or fox trot or slow pace. 

A comprehensive discussion of the gaits of the saddle horse, 
coming from the pen of one well qualified to present the subject^ 
and long identified with saddle-horse interests, the writer thinks 
appropriate to introduce here. 

There are different kinds of saddle horses, and they are classified in part 
at least by their gaits. The three natural gaits of a horse are the walk, trot, 
and gallop, or run. Artificially, that is, by education, the gallop is made into a 
canter, which is a gait performed by practically the same movement of the legs, 
but slower, more restrained, and easier to ride. We then have one kind of a 
saddle horse called the walk-t rot-cant et\ ox plain-gaited^ horse. This horse suits 
a lot of people, primarily, because they do not know any other gait ; secondarily, 
because they are imitators of the English fashion of riding; and lastly, and 
leastly, because they do not like other educated and easier gaits. 

These easier gaits are the running walk and the rack. The latter is also 
called single foot, inasmuch as in this gait each foot has a separate impact 
on the ground, no two of them striking it at the same time, as in the trot 
and pace. 

Jlie running walk is called a slow gait, and there are two other gaits allied 
to it, — the slow pace and the fox trot. The name " running walk " defines 
the gait accurately, and at once identifies it to the understanding. It is faster 
than a flat-foot walk, and is produced by a movement of the legs more rapid 
than in a walk, but in about the same rhythm ; that is, each foot strikes the 
ground independently of the others. Most horses going the running walk bob 
or nod their heads, and some of them even flop their ears in rhythm with their 
footfalls. It is an all-day gait, easy alike to the horse and the rider, and it 
covers ground at an astonishing fashion for its apparent speed. It is taught 
by urging a horse out of the walk but restraining him from a trot. 

^ Editorial by the late W. K. Goodwin, Jr., BreeJcrs^ Gazette, June lo, 1903. 



THE AMERICAN SADDLE HORSE 



35 



The slow pace is a somewhat similar movement, but borders more on the 
side-wheel gait, or lateral pace, in which the two feet on one side of a horse 
strike the ground at the same instant. The true pace, however, is in no sense 
a saddle gait. It is rough and uncomfortable. A rider cannot rise to it and 
save himself, as in a trot, and it is positively the worst gait a saddle horse can 
possess. In the slow pace this side-wheel motion is slightly modified so that 
the impact on the ground of the two feet on a side is broken, thus avoiding 
the rolling motion of the true pace. The slow pace is a very comfortable gait, 
and is very showy, especially when a horse throws just a bit of knee action 
into it. It has grown common in the show ring during recent years, as saddle- 
horse trainers appreciate its catchy qualities and endeavor to teach their horses 
to go this gait. The best 
saddle-horse men, however, 
do not look on it with 
favor, as it is so easily cor- 
rupted into the abomina- 
ble side-wheel pace, which 
ruins a saddle horse for 
comfortable and satisfac- 
tory work. Unless a rider 
is careful his mount may 
almost imperceptibly de- 
generate from a distinct 
and correct slow pace into 
a plainly defined pace, and 
then there is sure-enough 
trouble. 

The fox trot is a slow 
trot or a jog trot. It is a 
rather peculiar gait and 

not so desirable as the running walk or the slow pace. Some horses cannot 
acquire either of these two gaits, and so their trainers pull them down into a 
very slow trot and seek to pass that gait off as a fox trot. It is a broken-time 
gait, in a measure, somewhat easier than a pure trot, and when cleanly per- 
formed it will answer as a business gait. 

The t?vt is the diagonal gait. The off fore foot and the near hind foot strike 
the ground at the same instant, and the horse bounds off them to hit the 
ground again with the near fore and the off hind. This gives a two-beat gait. 
The impact of the feet on the ground is one, two, one, two. 

The pace is the lateral gait. The off fore and off hind foot hit the ground 
at the same interval, and the other pair on the near side follow. This is also a 
two-beat gait. 

The rack is a four-beat gait. Each foot hits the ground at a separate inter- 
val in a one-two-three-four beat. The rack can be distinguished by ear as far as 
the footfalls of the horse may be heard ; each foot rings clear its own note on 
the hard ground. In teaching the rack the horse is forced forward by the spur 




Fig. id. An American saddle horse showing his gaits 
at the fair. Photograph from the American Breeder 



36 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

and restrained by the curb. His diagonal gait is thereby broken up and he flies 
into a four-beat gait. The rack is easy for the rider, hard for the horse. It is 
a showy gait, and is performed at great speed sometimes. The trainer who has 
a fast racking horse will generally keep him on that gait when in the show 
ring, hoping to dazzle the judge by the flashiness of the performance. . . . 
This gait has been officially named the rack by the American Saddle Horse 
Breeders' Association, and hence the name " single foot " should not be used, 
as it merely leads to confusion among the uninformed. 

The five gaits recognized by that association are the walk, trot, canter, rack, 
and the running walk, or slow pace, or fox trot. Any one of these three slow 
gaits will answer. Some horses can go only one of them, some can show them 
all. When a horse can show these five gaits he is called ■& gaited horse. 

Two notable families of American saddle horses are the Den- 
mark and the Chief, and to these most of the more outstanding 
individuals of the breed largely trace their ancestry. 

The Denmark family, as indicated on page 32, derives its name 
from a horse named Denmark, sired by imported Hedgeford. 
A son of Denmark, known as Gaines's Denmark 61, was a black 
horse with white hind feet and of great beauty. He transmitted to 
his offspring not only beauty but also graceful action. According 
to the late David Castleman,^ of the 3000 entries in Volume IV 
of the studbook, 1282, or 42.7 per cent, have a direct male trace 
to Denmark. Of these Gaines's Denmark has 1277, or practi- 
cally a perfect percentage. Of the 11,977 entries in the first 
four volumes, 731 1, or 61.4 per cent, trace to Denmark, while 
Gaines's Denmark traces 73 11 lines of male descent to 7301 of 
his sires. A son of Gaines's Denmark foaled in 1855, named 
Washington Denmark 64, transmitted the valued features of this 
line in a marked degree. Another son, Diamond Denmark 68, 
was the sire of Montrose 106, one of the notable sires of the 
breed. Black Squirrel 58 (foaled in 1876, sired by Black Eagle 
74) and Rex Denmark 840 (foaled in 1884, a great grandson of 
Gaines's Denmark) hold distinguished places in this remarkable 
family. This family represents the more refined type of the 
American saddle horse, individuals tending to an extreme in this 
respect and lacking in substance. 

The Chief family has its fountainhead in Mambrino Chief II, 
a trotter foaled in 1844 in New York and ten years later taken 

1 American Saddle Horse Breeders' Register, Vol. IV (1911), p. VI. 



THE AMERICAN SADDLE HORSE 



37 



to Kentucky. He was coarse in appearance, bay in color, stood 
about 1 6 hands, and never sired colts of quality, though he pro- 
duced speed. He traced back three generations to imported Mes- 
senger, the Thoroughbred. Through a son, Clark Chief 89, was 
sired Harrison Chief 1606, who in turn sired eight sons of 




Fig. II. Gypsy Queen, an outstanding American saddle mare and prize winner. 

First in class at the Chicago Horse Show, 1903 and 1904. From a photograph by 

courtesy of Ball Brothers, Versailles, Kentucky 



distinction, Bourbon Chief 976 being especially so. This latter 
sired many fine sons and daughters, through whom this family 
came into marked favor. Bourbon King 1788, by Bourbon Chief, 
foaled in 1 900, has proved to be one of the most illustrious sires of 
this family. Horses of this family show considerable substance, as a 
rule, and may appear a bit coarse in comparison with the Denmarks. 
The Chief and Denmark families seem to blend especially well. 



38 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

Prominent American saddle-horse sires additional to those men- 
tioned under the preceding families are the following, the date 
of foaling, which is given in parenthesis, indicating the period 
when service began : Wilson's Chief ; Harrison's Chief 1606 
(1872); Black Squirrel 58(1876); Chester Dare 10(1882); 
Bourbon Chief 976 (1883); Forest Squirrel 801 (1890); High- 
land Denmark 730 (1890) ; Rex McDonald 883 (1890) ; Mont- 
gomery Chief 1361 (1897); Dandy Jim 2d 1531 (1900); My 
Dare 2642 (1901) ; My Own Kentucky 3764 (1901) ; Kentucky 
Choice 3765 (1905); and Astral King 2808 (1906). The above 
fourteen horses cover a period of thirty-four years of foaling, from 
that of Harrison's Chief. In the studbook Wilson's Chief is given 
no registry number or date of foaling, being an early foundation 
sire. Rex McDonald 833, by Rex Denmark 840, who died at 
twenty-three years of age in 191 3, was regarded not only as almost 
a perfect specimen of a gaited saddle horse but as the most 
impressive sire of his time. 

Noteworthy American saddle-horse mares are MoUic, dam of 
Black Squirrel 58 ; Amelia 1354, by Red Eagle 28 ; Patsy McCord 
1600, by Black Squirrel; HigJiland Maid 1270, by Highland 
Denmark; Emily 855, by Bourbon Chief, by Harrison's Chief 
3841 ; Rowejia 1362, by Chester Dare 10, by Black Squirrel 58 ; 
Miss Rex 820, by Rex Denmark; and Little Kate 5851, by 
Prince of Denmark 423. 

The prices paid for American saddle horses often run into 
high figures, $500 to $1000 not being uncommon. There is but 
a limited supply of gaited saddlers, and these are always in 
demand by a class of patrons who are willing to pay a price con- 
sistent with merit. In 1906 Major David Castleman sold the 
stallion The Moor 1907, by Cecil Palmer, for $7500 to General 
William Palmer of Colorado Springs. This same year General 
John B. Castleman of Kentucky sold the mares Eugenia (by 
Highland Denmark, out of Emily) and Magna (by Cromwell, Jr., 
out of Maria) to J. A. Davis of Massachusetts for $5000. Rex 
McDonald sold for $2500 as a six-year-old and later for $5000. 
In 1907 the mare Miss P'^lirtation sold for $6318. Kentucky 
Choice 3765 sold in 1909 for $6000 and later changed hands 
at $7500. In 1913 My Major Dare 4424 sold for $10,000, the 



THE AMERICAN SADDLE HORSE 39 

top price for a stallion of the breed. As illustrative of the high 
values placed on these horses by their admirers, it is reported 
that ^5000 was refused for Black Squirrel at eighteen years of 
age, ;$70oo was refused for Dandy Jim, and $12,000 for Bourbon 
King. 

The American Saddle Horse Breeders' Association was organ- 
ized at Louisville, Kentucky, in 1891, as the National Saddle 
Horse Breeders' Association. In 1899 the name was changed to 
the American Saddle Horse Breeders' Association. Up to 19 19 
seven volumes of the studbook have been published, indicating 
a registration of 7500 stallions and 13,500 mares. 



CHAPTER V 

THE LIGHT HARNESS TYPE 

The light harness horse, or roadster, occupies a class by itself, 
representing a lighter type of driver than the coach horse. Such 
a horse is desirable for speed in conveying along roadways a 
light driving vehicle. The American trotter or pacer is the com- 
mon type used for this work. Speed and endurance seem to be 
the principal points sought in the roadster, and less uniformity 
of type is found in this class than in any other. Light harness 
horses vary widely in height, weight, and conformation. 

The best type of roadster stands from 15^ to i5| hands high, 
although he may vary even more than this. A desirable weight 
ranges from 1000 to 1 100 pounds, but stallions as a rule weigh 
somewhat more, sometimes exceeding 1250 pounds. In confor- 
mation this horse tends to be angular, the muscles and joints 
showing prominence, with the ribs more or less noticeable. There 
is proportionately less body and more leg, a thinner neck, with 
muscularity at the croup and quarters. 

The head of the light harness horse should be lean and shapely, 
the profile showing quite straight from poll to nose. There is a 
tendency for stallions to have a slight Roman profile, and the 
mares a dished face. Coarseness of head is very objectionable. 
The ears should be small and refined, the eyes prominent and 
clear, the nostrils well defined, and the lips thin and evenly mated. 

The neck of the light harness horse is essentially long, lean, 
and muscular. Stallions tend to have a slight crest of neck, while 
mares frequently are lacking in depth of this part, having what 
is termed a ewe neck. Length of neck is naturally associated 
with speed, while shortness shows draft character. The neck 
should be flexible and easily bent and extended — important factors 
in establishing equilibrium. 

The shoulders of the light harness horse should be long and 
especially oblique or sloping, because the horse with a long, oblique, 

40 



THE LIGHT HARNESS TYPE 41 

light shoulder is able to raise the fore limb and advance it more 
easily than with the more upright shoulder. Thickness or fullness 
of shoulder, especially about the withers, is very undesirable in a 
horse of this type, resulting in an indifferent gait. 

The arms and forearms of the light harness horse should be 
reasonably muscular, not like those of a draft horse, but as indicat- 
ing strength of action. Especially should the muscles back of the 
forearms be well developed, as they are brought into active use 
in raising the fore leg. 

The cannons of the light harness horse are usually lean and 
show the skin, type of bone, and ligaments very clearly. A short, 
clean, smooth cannon with the tendons carried well back and 
parallel with the bone are prime features of the horse with rapid 
gait. Long cannon bones are undesirable, for they lack the 
strength of the shorter ones. Great emphasis is placed on the 
cannons being clean and smooth, with no roughness or evidence 
of bone disease. 

The pasterns of the light harness horse should be comparatively 
long, smooth, and strongly carried at an angle of about 45 degrees. 
The shoulders and pasterns have much work to do in common, and 
the pastern that is long and springy will bear concussion much 
better than a short one. The long pastern allows for a greater 
movement of the fetlock joint, an essential if speed is desired. 

The foot of the light harness horse should be of medium size, 
wide at the heel, not too low set at this point, and have a well- 
developed frog and strong bars. The length of the heel should 
be about one third the length of the front of the hoof. 

The body of the light harness horse should have a greater rel- 
ative depth than breadth. A front view gives a greater degree 
of narrowness than obtains with the draft horse. A noted English 
authority, Hayes, states that he is convinced that a race horse 
cannot be too narrow in front. The high elevation of the withers 
and their lean, long appearance add to the general effect of the 
depth of body. Light harness horses often appear to lack girth, 
or are termed " light waisted." Some of the most famous trotters 
and pacers have certainly had this appearance accentuated by 
high flanks. The back should be strong, well carried, with a 
wide, muscular loin. 



42 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



The hind quarters of the light harness horse often stand slightly 
higher than the fore quarters at the withers and have a lean and 
somewhat angular appearance. The hips should be muscular to 
a limited extent and not fleshy. A long, wide, comparatively 
level croup is very desirable. Steepness of croup is common 
among light harness horses, more especially pacers. Hayes states ^ 
that "to have the point of the buttock placed high and project- 
ing well to the rear is a great beauty, which may be seen in 
some Thoroughbreds and in high-caste Arabs." The gaskin 




Fig. 12. Rhea W. and Easter Belle, champion roadsters at the National Horse 

Show, Madison Square Garden, New York, 1904. The property of Miss K. L. 

Wilks, Gait, Ontario, Canada. From photograph by courtesy of Miss Wilks 



should be long, broad, and muscular. Length and strength of 
gaskin muscle are especially important if speed is desired. The 
stifle joint should be fairly high and face outward enough to 
permit freedom of motion. The Jiock should be lean and sharply 
defined, with no tendency to fleshiness, and should be straight 
and open enough to permit the cannon bone to hold a vertical 
line. Such a leg has a maximum of extension in producing speed. 
Curved or sickle hocks are often seen with race horses, in which 
case the natural tendency is to carry the hind feet well under 
the body when at rest. 

1 The Points of the Horse, p. 311. 



THE LIGHT HARNESS TYPE 43 

The action of the light harness horse is one of his most valued 
features. If lacking a free, easy, fairly speedy gait, he is of in- 
ferior value. The walk should be free and easy, the feet being 
raised with snap and then laid upon the ground with decision, and 
with no stumbling tendency. As one stands behind the horse in 
action the bottom of the shoes should easily be seen. As watched 
from the side, the knees and hocks should appear strongly flexed 
and the stride long, representing great efficiency of motion. A 
high knee action is undesirable, but a long, moderately low ex- 
tension is sought. The action should be true, and the legs move 
in harmony with each other. 



CHAPTER VI 

THE AMERICAN TROTTER AND PACER 

The history of the English trotting horse goes back for several 
centuries. About Norfolk and Yorkshire trotters were great favor- 
ites two centuries ago, and trotting races of an unofficial char- 
acter were of frequent occurrence. Old records tell us that the 
Norfolk trotting mare Phenomena in 1800 trotted 17 miles in 
56 minutes on the Huntingdon road, carrying a weight in saddle 
of about 225 pounds. In 1806 the horse Pretender trotted 16 
miles within an hour, carrying 210 pounds. All the early racing 
records were made under the saddle. In connection with the 
early evolution of the Hackney its use as a trotter and racer 
became popular. 

The early use of the trotter in America no doubt extends back 
into colonial times, though to what degree is uncertain. What 
were probably running horses were taken from England to Massa- 
chusetts as early as 1629. Horses of this class were also bred 
in Virginia and the Carolinas. The recorded use of the trotter 
in America extends back to the first part of the nineteenth cen- 
tury. In 1802 a law forbidding all horse racing and trotting was 
enacted in New York, but this law was amended in 1821 to 
permit training, pacing, trotting, and running of horses upon 
certain regulated courses in Queens County on Long Island. 
Early trotting records take us back to June, 1806, when the 
horse Yankee, under saddle, trotted a mile in 2:59 ^^ the Harlem 
race course. New York. On August 25, 18 10, a horse from 
Boston is reported to have trotted a mile at Philadelphia in har- 
ness in 2:48^. Later, in 18 18, Boston Blue made an authentic 
mile in 3:00 at Jamaica, New York. This record compares favor- 
ably with English records in Norfolk and elsewhere. 

A most important trotting blood foundation in America was the 
importation of the stallions Messenger, Uiomed, and Bellfounder, 
whose histories are worthy of special mention. 

44 



THE AMERICAN TROTTER AND PACER 45 

Messenger, commonly known as Imported Messenger, was a 
Thoroughbred, his pedigree tracing back through his sire to 
Flying Childers and the Darley Arabian. He was foaled in 1780 
in England and proved a successful racer, and as a five-year-old 
won the King's Plate. Believing that he would do valuable serv- 
ice in the stud, he was imported to the United States in May, 
1788. Messenger, however, though a trotting sire, had no imme- 
diate descendants that proved to be noted trotters. He secured 
his chief fame through his son JUajubriiio, a Thoroughbred, that 
in turn was sire of Abdallah, a sire of trotters. Messenger was 
a gray, I5| hands high, with strong loins and powerful hind 
quarters. He was in stud service for twenty years in America, 
— in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. He died Janu- 
ary 28, 1808, leaving a lineage of driving horses of remarkable 
excellence. 

Diomed (imported) was foaled in England in 1777. He was a 
Thoroughbred, I5| hands high, chestnut in color, and a horse 
of substance and great muscular power. His sire, Florizel, was 
by the famous Herod, out of a daughter of Cygnet, by Godol- 
phin Barb. Diomed's dam Juno was by Alcock's Arabian, while 
through his second dam he traced to Godolphin Barb and his 
third dam was by Flying Childers. Thus it is seen he came 
from the fastest Thoroughbred ancestry. He was a successful 
race horse for four years, when he retired lame and was used in 
service in England until 1 799, when he was imported to Virginia. 
In America Diomed proved a great sire of race horses. One of 
his sons, Sir Archy, has been designated the " Godolphin Arabian 
of America" ^ and was one of the fastest racers of his time. In 
ninety of the best races run in America up to 1844, about 66 
per cent were direct descendants of Diomed. "The name of 
Diomed," says Parlin, "" is found more frequently in the pedigrees 
of record-breaking runners, trotters, and pacers in this country 
than is that of any other animal." 

Bellfoundej; known as Jary's Bellfounder in England and as 

Imported Bellfounder in the United States, was foaled in 18 15 

and was imported from Norfolk in 1822. He was a bright bay, 

with black mane, tail, and legs, stood 15 hands high, and was a 

1 S. W. Parlin, The American Trotter, p. 35. Boston, 1905. 



46 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

natural trotter. At the time he was brought to America he was 
regarded as one of the very fleetest and most powerful trotters 
and is said to have trotted 17 miles in an hour. Velocity, his 
dam, trotted 16 miles in an hour on the Norwich road in 1806, 
while two years later she is reported to have made 18 miles in 
I hour and 47 seconds. Thus it can be seen how a strong line 
of trotting blood was brought to America. Bellfounder was taken 




Fig. 13. The Harvester (2:01), by Walnut Hall (2:o8|-), one of the fastest trotting 
stallions of record, as well as a great sire. The driver is Edward Geers, the most 
popular and highly respected driver on the American circuit. From photograph 

by the author 

to Orange County, New York, where he went into stud service. 
Here he sired the Charles Kent Mare, a most important connect- 
ing link with his American fame. Bellfounder died on Long 
Island in 1843. 

The type of the American trotter or pacer is far from being 
fixed. No breed of horses has been produced under more variable 
conditions, and no recognized breed of stock contains a greater 
variation in size, color, and character than does this light harness 



THE AMERICAN TROTTER AND PACER 47 

breed. In fact, there is so little breed type that many persons 
refuse to recognize it as a breed. In its best development this 
light harness horse has symmetry of form, — a lean, intelligent 
head ; a medium-long, refined, and graceful neck ; sloping, well- 
laid shoulders ; sharp withers ; fairly level, short, strong back ; 
graceful muscular croup, with tail well carried and set high ; lean, 
muscular thigh ; round, deep body ; and legs short, clean, fine- 
boned, and with excellent feet. This horse has a strong, long, 
quick stride, a clean hock action, and greater activity of motion 
than any other trotter known. The conformation of the pacing 
horse often shows a steepness of croup and curving of hocks 
which appear to be more or less associated with the pacing gait, 
though not necessarily so. Some of the most famous pacers in 
American racing history have had this peculiar conformation, 
which is, to say the least, not beautiful. A more detailed con- 
sideration of the conformation of the trotter and pacer is found 
in the preceding chapter on "The Light Harness Type." Weights 
of 1 1 50 pounds for a stallion and 900 pounds for a mare are 
very acceptable, while any color will pass, although bays and 
browns are most numerous. 

The gaits of the trotter and pacer are distinctly different, 
although an animal may be able to trot or pace as desired. To 
a certain degree, however, the distinguishing differences between 
trotter and pacer depend upon the gait. 

The trot consists in moving forward at much the same time 
front and rear opposite limbs ; as, for example, the left front leg 
and the right hind leg. On account of the special leg movement, 
as exhibited by the gait, the trotter is said to be " diagonal-gaited." 
It is not only important but interesting to note here that in the 
show ring, where the gait is considered, the trot furnishes the 
approved form of locomotion, the pace being regarded as inferior 
to the trot. 

The pace consists in the two legs on one side being moved 
forward at about the same time, thus presenting a sort of parallel 
movement. Due to this side movement of the legs the pacer is 
sometimes spoken of as a "side wheeler" or "racker." The 
horse naturally paces when his body is hardly long enough to 
permit of a free diagonal movement without interference of the 



48 rilE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

feet. The pace provides a freer movement, involves more of a 
swaying motion than the trot, and, while faster by about three 
seconds, is much less popular than the smoother-moving trot. 

The trot and pace are interchangeable, and numerous race 
horses possess both gaits. The stallion Direct, with a pacing 
record of 2:05}, also had a trotting record, as a four-year-old, of 
2: 1 81. Brown Hal, a great pacing sire, also had a trotting record. 
John R. Gentry, 2:oo.|, a standard-bred trotter, was a very fast 
pacer and a sire of pacers. Jay-Eye-See was first a trotter at 
2:10 and later a pacer at 2:05 1. Most horses naturally have one 
gait, but many of them are easily taught the other. Hamilton 
Busby states that he has seen the late Robert Bonner, the well- 
known light-horse enthusiast and student of equine form and 
foot ballast, take a pacing colt and in a few minutes change it 
to a trotter by simply changing the bearing of its heels. 

What is a standard-bred trotter? In 1882 the constitution of 
the National Association of Trotting Horse Breeders, an associa- 
tion organized in 1876, was amended, and among the rules 
adopted were the following : 

In order to define what constitutes a trotting-bred horse, and to establish a 
breed of trotters on a more intelligent basis, the following rules are adopted to 
control admission to the records of pedigrees. When an animal meets with the 
requirements of admission and is duly registered, it shall be accepted as a 
standard trotting-bred animal. 

First. Any stallion that has, himself, a record of two minutes and thirty 
seconds (2:30) or better ; provided any of his get has a record of 2:40 or better, 
or provided his sire or his dam, his grandsire or his grandam, is already a 
standard animal. 

Second. Any mare or gelding that has a record of 2:30 or better. 

Third. Any horse thai is the sire of two animals with a record of 2:30 or 
better. 

Fourth. Any horse that is the sire of one animal with a record of 2:30 or 
better; provided he has either of the following additional qualifications: (i) a 
record himself of 2:40 or better; (2) is the sire of two other animals with a 
record of 2:40 or better ; (3) has a sire or dam, grandsire or grandam, that is 
already a standard animal. 

Fifth. Any mare that has produced an animal with a record of 2:30 or better. 

Sixth. The progeny of a standard horse when out of a standard mare. 

Sei'eitth. The progeny of a standard horse out of a mare by a standard horse. 

Fighth. The progeny of a standard horse when out of a mare whose dam 
is a standard mare. 



THE AMERICAN TROTTER AND PACER 



49 



Ninth. Any mare that has a record of 2:40 or better, and whose sire or 
dam, grandsire or grandam, is a standard animal. 

Tenth. A record to wagon of 2:35 or better shall be regarded as equal to 
a 2:30 record. 

The above rules, on the basis of breed standards, are subject to 
criticism, in that speed is the only requirement, no consideration 
being given conformation, height, etc. For this reason breed critics 
refuse to recognize the trotter or pacer as an established breed. 




Fig. 14. Lou Dillon, 1:58^, by Sidney Dillon. This great little mare long held 

the trotting championship of the world. The most sensational trotter in American 

history. Owned by C. K. G. Billings. From photograph taken in 1905, by courtesy 

of the National Stockman and Farmer 

The standard of eligibility for trotters as given by the Amer- 
ican Trotting Registry Association ^ is as follows : 

When an animal meets these requirements and is duly registered it shall 
be accepted as a standard-bred trotter. 

I. The progeny of a registered standard trotting horse and a registered 
standard trotting mare. 



1 Wallace, Yearbook of Trotting and Pacing in 1917, p- 5- 



50 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

2. A stallion sired by a registered standard trotting horse, provided his 
dam and grandam were sired by registered standard trotting horses, and he 
himself has a trotting record of 2:30 and is the sire of three trotters with 
records of 2:30 from different mares. 

3. A mare whose sire is a registered standard trotting horse, and whose 
dam and grandam were sired by registered standard trotting horses, pro- 
vided she herself has a trotting record of 2:30 or is a dam of one trotter 
with a record of 2:30. 

4. A mare sired by a registered standard trotting horse, provided she is 
the dam of two trotters with records of 2:30. 

5. A mare sired by a registered standard trotting horse, provided her first, 
second, and third dams are each sired by a registered standard trotting horse. 

The pacing standard is the same as the trotting standard except 
that the word " pacer" is substituted for the word "trotter," the 
word "pacing" for the word "trotting," and the speed standard 
2:25 for 2:30. The first five paragraphs of official trotting and 
pacing standards are aHke. The pacing standard, however, has 
a sixth paragraph, which is as follows : 

6. The progeny of a registered standard trotting horse out of a registered 
standard pacing mare, or of a registered standard pacing horse out of a 
registered trotting mare. 

This last paragraph brings out the interesting point in an offi- 
cial way that the result of the union of a pacer and trotter may 
create a standard-bred pacer. 

Trotting families of note have been- developed in America 
during the past century from which are descended the trotting 
horses of eminence to-day. The families introduced below are 
recognized as the most important. The judicious blending of 
these families has, in cases, resulted in very great success ; as, for 
example, in the case of the Hambletonian and Mambrino. 

The Hambletonian family. On May 15, 1849, the Charles 
Kent Mare gave birth to a male foal from the service of Abdallah, 
the grandson of Messenger. This mare was owned by Jonas 
Seely of Chester, Orange County, New York, who later sold 
her with foal at side to William M. Rysdyk for $125. This 
colt was later named Hambletonian 10 and is frequently re- 
ferred to as Rysdyk's Hambletonian. He was a bay in color, with 
a star and white hind ankles, stood 15! hands high, and was 



THE AMERICAN TROTTER AND PACER 



51 



powerful in build. His head was large, with pleasant eyes, his 
neck and shoulders strong, the body round and full, legs and 
feet of superior character, and he stood somewhat higher behind 
than in front. As a three-year-old Hambletonian is said to have 
made a record of 2:48 over the Union course. 

In 185 1 Hambletonian began service in stud, which, with the 
exception of one year (1868), he continued until 1875. During 
fifteen years of service, between 1853 and 1867, he sired 11 87 




Fig. 15. Sonoma Girl, 2:04^, the fastest green trotting mare on the 1909 circuit. 
From photograph by the author 

foals — an average of 79 each year. He died March 27, 1876, 
long after his value as a sire began to be appreciated. This 
stallion proved the founder of the most famous American family 
of trotters, for to him may be traced many of the most illustrious 
trotters of history. In 1905 Parlin states ^ that he was credited 
with 150 sons that have sired 1487 trotters and 220 pacers 
which have made records in standard time. Eighty of his 
daughters have produced 1 1 o standard trotters and 7 standard 
pacers, a total of 1824. 

Among the famous sons and daughters of Hambletonian 10 
are Alexander's Abdallah, Electioneer, George Wilkes, Aberdeen, 

1 S. W. Parhn, The American Trotter, p. 61. 



52 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

Volunteer, Happy Medium, Harold, Strathmore, Egbert, Dictator, 
Dexter, Nettie (2:18), Orange Girl (2:20), Gazelle (2:21), Jay 
Gould (2:21.^), and Bella (2:22). The first ten of these proved 
very prepotent sires and thus demonstrated in an impressive 
manner the value of their remarkable sire. 

Pedigree of Hambletonian 10 (Foaled 1849) 

f Mambrino, by Engineer, 
r Messenger (Thor- -i by Sampson 
' Mambrino (7)-.) -! oughbred) 1 7S0 [^ Dam by Turf 

1806 1 Mare bv ^^ ^°"'' ^""""^ ^™P'^ ''^^ 
AhdaWah I (TrofUv) ^ ^ • ■ 'l 

182^ ^ ,, r,T r Messenger 

■^ I Son of Messenger <{ ° 

Amazonia(7;-.) "\ ,11 I 

^ I Unknown ^ 

r Itellfounder (7)-.) 
f Jary's Kell- -1 ,' 1 
-^ ■' l^Lnknown 

Charles Kent Maie^i ' '' T Bishop's Ilamble- f Messenger (imp.) 

I One Eye J tonian (7)-.) (^Pheasant, by Shark 

' ., ., r Messenger (imp.) 

i,Silvertail . . . ^ ,„ , ,^ , ^ ' 

[_ Black Jin (untraced) 

The Mambrino family. This family is named from Mambrino 
Chief, foaled in 1844 and bred by Richard Eldridge of Dutchess 
County, New York. Mambrino Chief was by Mambrino Pay- 
master, and he by Mambrino, the Thoroughbred son of Messenger. 
His dam is untraced. He was a dark-brown stallion about 16 
hands high, by some referred to as coarse, though he proved 
a very superior breeder. Mambrino Chief in 1854 was taken to 
Kentucky, where he was in stud three seasons at Ashland T^arms, 
after which he was bought for $5020 by Gray and Jones of 
Woodford County, in whose service he died in 1862. His son 
Mambrino Patchen sired scores of trotters, while his daughter 
Dolly was the dam of Onward, Director, and Thorndale, a remark- 
able trio. Mambrino King, by Mambrino Patchen, was regarded 
by many as the most beautiful horse in America in his day. 
Woodford Mambrino, Mambrino Pilot, P'isk's Mambrino Chief, 
and Ericsson were also successful sires by Mambrino Chief. Lady 
Thorn, a daughter of Mambrino Chief, trotted 106 heats inside 
2:30 and won national fame. The union of the descendants of 



THE AMERICAN TROTTER AND PACER 53 

Mambrino Chief and Hambletonian 10 produced most efficient 
results. While the Mambrino family ranks perhaps second in 
importance, it is gradually being absorbed by Hambletonian blood 
and, according to Parlin, will in time become extinct. 

The Clay family. In 1820 a Barb stallion known as Grand 
Bashaw, foaled in 18 16, was imported from Tripoli, Africa. He 
was regarded as of great beauty and showed both action and 
speed. He was a small iron gray, standing 14^ hands high. 
Used in the stud near Philadelphia he sired Young Bashaw 
out of a granddaughter of Imported Messenger. Young Bashaw 
sired Andrew Jackson, the fastest trotter of his day. The 
trotting mare Lady Surrey, brought from Canada and owned by 
George M. Patchen, was bred to Andrew Jackson, from which in 
1837 she dropped a black foal named Henry Clay, the sire from 
which this family derives its name. He stood about is\ hands 
high, had plenty of substance, was a natural trotter, and ' ' an 
untiring roadster." He was not himself a prolific sire, and but 
three of his sons — Cassius M. Clay, Andy Johnson, and Henry 
Clay Junior — are noteworthy. Cassius M. Clay was sire of 
George M. Patchen (2:231), that in i860 established a world's 
record and also became a noted sire of both sons and daughters. 
Stamboul (zioy^) had for second dam Patchen Maid, by George 
M. Patchen. The Clay family, though possessing a long line of 
trotting inheritance, bids fair to become extinct through absorption 
by the Hambletonians. 

The Morgan family. This is one of our oldest trotting families 
and inherits its name from a stallion named Justin Morgan, 
foaled in 1793 at West Springfield, Massachusetts. P^rom this 
place he was taken to Vermont, in which state this family of 
horses has gained great distinction. Justin Morgan was sired by 
True Briton, whose ancestry may be traced back to the Godolphin 
Barb ; his dam is given as Diamond, she also tracing back to the 
Godolphin Barb. It is but fair to state here that the breeding of 
Justin Morgan is more or less questioned, and the above ances- 
try is based on investigations of Joseph Battell of Middlebury, 
Vermont. This stallion is described as about 14 hands high, 
weighing 950 pounds, dark bay with black points, and possessed of 



54 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



great vitality; he died in 182 1, at twenty-eight years of age. He 
was a fast walker, a good trotter, and was most intelligent, being 
used as a military charger or parade horse, a short-distance run- 
ner, and a farm-work horse. He proved to be a wonderfully pre- 
potent stallion, and on his blood is founded the Morgan family. 




Fig. 16. Donald, a Morgan stallion, noted both as a show horse and a sire. Donald 
is regarded as a fine example of the true type of Morgan. Owned by C. C. Stillman, 
Newburgh, New York. From photograph by H. II. Strohmeyer, Jr., by courtesy 

of Mr. Stillman 

Justin Morgan had a long stud career, but he did not produce 
great breeding sons in the same degree as did Hambletonian 10. 
Three of his sons — Bulrush, Woodbury, and Sherman Morgan — 
were his greatest offspring. A son of Sherman Morgan, named 
Black Hawk, foaled in 1S33, was a trotter and vigorous sire, and 
fourteen of his sons became recognized trotters, l^than Allen, 
his greatest son, was bred in New York State and was foaled in 



THE AMERICAN TROTTER AND PACER 55 

1849 from a dam of unknown ancestry. He became very famous 
and popular as a successful trotter and proved also to be a 
great sire. The mare Pocahontas, by Iron's Cadmus, with a record 
of 2:17.1 in 1855, bred to Ethan Allen became the dam of 
another Pocahontas, for which Robert Bonner later on paid 
^40,000. Among the thirty-six producing sons and daughters 
of Ethan Allen no one attained such distinction as did Daniel 
Lambert, himself the sire of thirty-eight trotters. The sire of 
the dam of Daniel Lambert was Abdallah, the sire of Hamble- 
tonian 10. Later years have shown that the Hambletonian and 
Morgan families could be bred together to very great advantage. 
P^or some years the United States Department of Agriculture 
has been conducting breeding operations, with the Morgan as a 
foundation, to establish a distinct American breed of heavy har- 
ness horses. The Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station has 
cooperated with the government in this work. A government stud 
at Middlebury, Vermont, has also been maintained. Thus far the 
results of this experimental breeding have not been especially 
noteworthy. The Morgan family in recent years has been given 
considerable publicity, but as this has been directed toward heavy 
harness lines it has not met with an especially favorable reception. 
There is a register for Morgan horses, and up to 1919 three 
volumes of the studbook have been published. To be eligible for 
registration the pedigree of every horse recorded must trace in 
some degree to Justin Morgan. 

The Pilot family. A black or dark-brown horse by the name 
of Pilot first attracted attention in this family. He was foaled in 
1828 in the province of Quebec. His sire is unknown, and his 
dam was Jeanne d'Arc, by Voyager. When eighteen months 
old he was taken to Connecticut and in 1830 to New York. In 
183 1 he was sold to go to New Orleans and 'in 1832 he was 
returned to Kentucky, where he died about 1853 on the farm of 
Robert Bell near Henderson. Pilot was not only a pacer but 
would also trot. His greatest son was Pilot Jr., a gray horse 
I5|^ hands high, foaled in 1844, out of Nancy Polk by Plunk's 
Havoc. Pilot Jr. was a very successful sire of brood mares. 
Bred to Sally Russell, a Thoroughbred daughter of Boston, he 
sired Miss Russell, one of the greatest American brood mares, 



56 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

the mother of the great Maud S., also Nutwood, Lord Russell, 
and fifteen others. Another daughter, Midnight, out of a Thorough- 
bred daughter of Lexington, was the dam of Jay-Eye-See, with 
a pacing record of 2:06^ and a trotting record of 2:10. Water- 
witch, another daughter of Pilot Jr., produced nineteen foals that 
lived, six of which made records of 2:30 or better. The family 
history of Pilot is more or less obscure. He bred both pacers 
and trotters and rendered valuable service to the American 
racing-horse interests. 

The Hal family. Years ago down in Kentucky was kept a roan 
saddle stallion, bred in Canada, known as Kittrel's Tom Hal. It is 
said that he was much abused in his time and was ridden nearly 
to death over rocky roads by a drunken wretch in an elm-crotch 
saddle. For years he stood at a fee of $5 to insure, with no 
pay if he did not get a good saddle horse. His ancestry is some- 
what obscure, but it is claimed that he had Morgan blood in his 
veins. Tom Hal attained fame as the sire of Gibson's Tom Hal, 
the sire of Hal Pointer (2:04^), Little Brown Jug (2:1 li), and 
Brown Hal (2:12!). The latter became the sire of Star Pointer, 
the leading sire of this family, a pacer of marvelous speed, char- 
acter, and endurance that reduced the pacing record to i:59|. 
Brown Hal is the sire of about ninety in the list, including Hal 
Dillard (2:04|), Hal Chafifin (2:05]), Elastic Pointer (2:06^), Star 
Hal (2:o6i), and Hal Braden (2:07^). This is the most distin- 
guished family containing a large percentage of pacing blood. 

The list of famous trotting or pacing brood mares is a very 
long one, there being several thousand of more or less distinction 
at this time. Three of these mares well deserve to be placed at 
the head of this list. 

Beautiful Bells, by The Moor, dam Minnehaha, was foaled in 
1872. She was bred by L. J. Rose in California, though owned 
at Palo Alto by Leiand Stanford, where she dropped her first 
foal in 1880 to the service of PLlectioneer. She produced eleven 
trotters of great merit, either by Electioneer or his sons, that made 
records from 2:i2| to 2:29},. On her sire's side she was a Pilot, 
on the dam's a Mambrino. 

Green Mountain Maid sn-a?> foaled in 1S62. She was bred by 
Samuel Conklin of Middletown, New York. Her sire was Harry 



THE AMERICAN TROTTER AND PACER 



57 



Clay, dam Shanghai Mary. She was a brown mare with star and 
white hind ankles and stood 15 hands high. At the Stony Ford 
Farm of Charles Backman she spent most of the twenty-six years 
of her life, dying in 1888. Her greatest son was Electioneer, 
one of America's most prepotent sires. Green Mountain Maid 
was the dam of sixteen foals. In memory of this mare a red- 
granite monument was erected in 1889 by Mr. Backman "on 
the spot dedicated to her worth and honored by her dust." 




Fig. 17. l-.lastic I'ointer, 2:06^, by Brown Hal, 2:12^. A pacer and full brother 

of Star Pointer, i : 59I, one of the greatest pacers in history. From photograph, 

by courtesy of N'atioiial Stockman and Farmer 



Miss Russell, a gray mare foaled in 1865, bred by R, A, Alex- 
ander at Woodburn, Kentucky, is the third worthy. She was 
sired by Pilot Jr. and out of Sally Russell, by Boston, and her 
fifth dam was by the great imported Thoroughbred Diomed. 
Miss Russell was the dam of eighteen foals. Nutwood, by Bel- 
mont, her first foal, was her greatest son, he siring one hundred 
and thirty-three trotters and thirty-five pacers, while Maud S,, by 
Harold, was her most famous daughter. Lord Russell, a full 
brother to Maud S., was a great sire, and among his sons was 
Kremlin (2 : o7|), the champion five-year-old trotter of his day. 



58 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

Leading sires of trotting horses up to 1918, on the basis of 
offspring with records of 2:30 or better, are as follows, in their 
order of importance. The number of offspring with trotting 
records follows the name of the sire, with the number of pacers 
in parentheses : 



1. J'e/er//ie Crea^, 2:0 J ^, by FWot Medium 281 (54) foaled 1895 

2. Allerton^ 2:09^, by Jay Bird . . . . 210 (61) foaled 1886 

3. Bingen, 2:o6i, by May King, 2:20 . 

4. McKinttey, 2:1 i\,hy A\cy one, 2:27 . 

5. Electioneer, by Hambletonian 10 . 

6. Onward, 2:25^ , by George Wilkes, 2:22 

7. Axworthy, 2:28!, by Axtell, 2:12 

8. J/^j/C'^, by Baron Wilkes, 2:18 . . . 

9. A'lttwood, 2:i8|, by Belmont . 



182 (47) foaled 1893 

164 (42) foaled 1887 

158 (2) foaled 1868 

155 (45) foaled 1875 

151 (8) foaled 1892 

139 (12) foaled 1893 

137 (37) foaled 1870 



10. AV</ /rvy/vj', 2:40, by George Wilkes, 2:22 133 (45) foaled 1874 

The sire having the greatest number of grandsons and grand- 
daughters to his credit as trotters and pacers is George Wilkes, 
by Hambletonian 10, with Electioneer in second place in that 
raspect. At the present day (19 19) Peter the Great, in active 
service at twenty- four years, with a limited fee of $1000, is 
regarded as the greatest living sire. 

Leading sires of pacing horses up to 191 8, that is, sires whose 
progeny made greater records as pacers than as trotters, are as 
follows, the trotters being indicated in parentheses : 

1. /A?/ /^/7/(?;v/, 2:o4|, by Brown Hal . . 93 (5) foaled 1887 

2. Brown Hal, 2:i2i, by Tom Hal ... 89 (3) foaled 1879 

3. Direct Hal, 2:04!, by Direct .... 89 foaled 1896 

4. Dan Patch, 1:55^, by Joe Patchen . . 87 (28) foaled 1896 

5. Direct, 2:05!, by Director 86 (46) foaled 1885 

6. /(?//« i'?. t7^///;j, 2:ooi, by Ashland Wilkes 71 (15) foaled 1889 

7. yi/j'^c/ //77/v.s-, 2:14^, by Tennessee Wilkes 67 (3) foaled 1886 

8. Hal B., 2:041, by Hal Dillard .... 63 (5) foaled 1895 

9. Strongwood, 2:i2|, by Nutwood ... 61 (14) foaled 1890 
10. Star Pointer, 1:59^, l^Y Brown Hal . . 50 foaled 1889 

Carried to the third generation, J^rown Hal is most prepotent 
in producing pacers, with Direct a creditable second. The above 
figures are subject to revision, as the number of offspring credited 
to several of these horses will materially increase. 



THE AMERICAN TROTTER AND PACER 



59 



The speed of the trotter is the main factor influencing values, 
and the speed record of an animal or its relationship to such 
will essentially affect its selling price. As might be expected, foals 
occasionally change 
hands at large prices 
based on pedigree and 
speed records of the 
family. The speed of 
the trotter has been 
constantly improved, 
until the end of 19 19 
saw records that would 
not have been thought 
possible by persons 
living a generation 
ago. All of the stand- 
ard racing records 
have been materially 
changed during the 
last fifty years. The 
followino: statement 




Fig. 17A. Dan Patch, 1:551, by Joe Patchen. The 
fastest pacer of record up to date, and one of the 
leading sires of pacers. Purchased for $60,000 
by M. W. Savage, Minneapolis, Minnesota. From 
illustration by courtesy of Mr. Savage 



shows how this record, representing horses in harness and not 
under saddle, has been lowered between 1845 and 191 8. Not 
every reduction in time is given, but enough to show the gradual 
process by which it took place. 



Name of Horse and Sire 


Place of Record 


Date 


Tiime 


Lady Suffolk, by Engineer . 


Hoboken, N.J. 


Oct. 13, 1845 


2:29! 


Highland Maid, by Saltram . 


Jamaica, N.Y. 


July 14, 1853 


2:27 


Flora Temple, by Bogus Hunter 


Kalamazoo, Mich. 


Oct. 15, 1859 


2:I9f 


Dexter, by Hambletonian 10 


Buffalo, N.V. 


Aug. 14, 1867 


2:i7i 


Goldsmith Maid, by Abdallah . 


Boston, Mass. 


Sept. 2, 1874 


2:14 


Jay-Eye-See, by Dictator . . 


Providence, R.I. 


Aug. I, 1884 


2:10 


Maud S., by Harold .... 


Cleveland, Ohio 


July 30, 1885 


2:o8f 


Nancy Hanks, by Happy Medium 


Terre Haute, Ind. 


Sept. 28, 1892 


2:04 


Cresceus, by Robert McGregor . 


Columbus. Ohio 


Aug. 2, 1901 


2:02i 


Loti Dillon, by Sidney Dillon . 


Memphis, Tenn. 


Oct. 24, 1903 


1:58^1 


Uhlan, by Bingen 


Lexington, Ky. 


Oct. 8, 1912 


1:58 



1 Timed with a wind shield, and pacemaker in front. 



6o 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



Some of the fastest trotting records to January i, 19 19, are 
given below. There are numerous standard trotting events, such 
as against time, in races, double teams, three abreast, half-mile 
track, mile track, etc. There are many fastest records, of which 
the following are selected as of perhaps the most interest : 



Event 



One mile . . . 
Two miles . . 
Five miles . . 
Ten miles . . 
Fastest stallion 
Fastest mare 
Fastest gelding 
Fastest new performer 
Fastest yearling . . 
Fastest two-year-old . 
Fastest four-year-old 
Team record against time 
Team, three abreast . . 



Name of Horse and Sire 



Uhlaii, by Bingen .... 
The Harvester, by Walnut Hal 
Zo>nl)>v, by Mc Kinney . . 
Controller, by May Boy . . 
Lee Axuwrthy, by Guy Axworthy 
Lou Dillon, by Sidney Dillon 
Uhlan, by Bingen .... 
Colorado E., by The Bondsman 
Ainlale, by Tregantle . . . 
The Real Lady, by Moko . . 
Peter Volo, by Peter the Great 
Roy J\ filler and Lncy Van . 
Belle Hamlin, Globe, Jiisti7ta 



Date 



1912 
1910 
1902 
1878 
1916 
1903 
1912 
1910 
1912 
1916 
1915 
1918 



1:58 
4:1 5i- 
12:24 
27:23^ 
1:58^- 
1:58^ 
1:58 
2:041- 
2:151 
2:04i 
2:02 
2:Oli 
2:14 



Pacing records now receive much attention from the public, 
although in early days the trot was the greater favorite of the 
two, especially prior to i860. The following table shows how 
the pacing record has been reduced since 1839 : 

Reduction of Pacing Record from 1839 to January i, 1919 



Name of Horse 



Drover . . . 

Fanny EUsler . 

Pet . . . . 
Pocahontas 
Sleepy George 
.Sleepy Tom 
Johnston 

Direct . . . 
Hal Pointer 

Robert J. . . 

Star Pointer . 

Prince Alert . 

Directum I . . 

Dan Patch . . 



Place of Record 



New Jersey 
Albany, N.Y. 
Long Island, N.Y. 
Long Island, N.Y. 
Rochester, N.Y. 
Chicago, 111. 
Chicago, III. 
Independence, Iowa 
Chicago, 111. 
Terre Haute, Ind. 
Readville, Mass. 
Empire City Track, N.Y 
Syracuse, N.Y. 
Memphis, Tenn. 



1839 
1844 
1852 
185s 
1879 
1879 
1884 
1 89 1 
1892 
1894 
1897 
1904 
191 5 
1905 



Record 



2:28 

2:27^ 

2:i8i 

2:i7i 

2:15^ 

2:12^ 

2:o6i 

2:06 

2:o5i 

2:01^ 

i:S9ir 
1:571 
1:561 



1 Timed with a wind shield, and pacemaker in front. 



THE AMERICAN TROTTER AND PACER 6i 

The number of trotters and pacers with records has steadily 
increased, until at the present day the list makes up a large book. 
At the end of the 19 17 season there were recorded a total of 
33,695 trotters with records of 2:30 or better and 25,475 pacers 
with records of 2:25 or better. Even the select 2:10 list has 
grown in a remarkable way, so that at the completion of the 
19 1 8 season, according to the Horse Reviezv (November 12, 19 18), 
there were 993 trotters in the 2:10 class and nearly 450 pacers 
in the 2:08 list. 

The money winnings on the race track by light harness horses 
mount up into considerable sums. While there are thousands of 
horse races each year on different tracks in America, what are 
known as the Grand Circuit races represent the most important 
held. These races begin in the more northerly section of the 
country in July, as at North Randall, Ohio, and end the last of 
October in the South, at Atlanta, Georgia, and many of the same 
horses follow the circuit from start to finish. In the Grand Circuit 
of 19 1 8 were the following places, in the order the races were 
held : North Randall, Kalamazoo, Toledo, Columbus, North 
Randall, Philadelphia, Poughkeepsie, Readville, Hartford, Syracuse, 
Columbus, Lexington, Atlanta. At the above thirteen meetings 
two hundred and sixty-one races were held, eight hundred and 
twenty-five heats were recorded, with an average time of 2:07.89, 
a remarkable showing. A total of $471,742 was awarded to the 
prize winners. The four leading families in the 19 18 circuit, 
according to the Horse Reviezv, were the following : 

Bingen (2:06^), with 192 winners, secured $70,091 
Peter the Great (2:07^), with 134 winners, secured $69,858 
Axworthy (2:15^), with 96 winners, secured $67,692 
McKinney (2:1 1|), with 108 winners, secured $59,595 

Up to 19 1 8 inclusive the get of Peter the Great have won 
over $800,000. 

The prices paid for standard-bred horses represent in some 
cases remarkable valuations, while a long list might be given of 
animals that have changed hands at $10,000 or more each. The 
highest price ever paid for a trotter was $150,000, paid by 
Mr. J. Malcolm P^orbes of Boston for Arion (2 :o7|), by Electioneer. 



62 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



In 1905, at a sale at Madison Square Garden, Mr. M. W. Savage 
of Minneapolis purchased Arion for $2500. The trotting stallion 
Axtell (2:12), by William L., was purchased by a company at 
Terre Haute, Indiana, for $105,000, Dan Patch (1:55]), the 
great pacing horse, was purchased for $60,000 by Mr. M. W. 
Savage, who later, it is reported, refused $180,000 for him. In 
19 1 6 Peter the Great, at twenty-one years of age, was sold by 
W. E. D. Stokes of New York to S. J. Pletcher of Indiana for 
$50,000, the highest price ever paid for so old a horse. Among 




Fig. iS. The grandstand and race track at Lexington, Kentucky, one of the fastest 
and best American tracks. From photograph by the author 

other notable prices paid for standard-bred horses are the follow- 
ing : Nancy Hanks, $45,000; Sunol, $41,000; Maud S., $40,000; 
Mascot, $26,000. 

The drivers of race horses occupy very prominent positions in 
the sporting world. If successful they receive much attention and 
may win large sums of money during the season. Such men 
should have exemplary habits, which unfortunately many of them 
do not have, and should possess keen knowledge of the tempera- 
ment and capacity of the horse. Among the early famous American 
drivers were Hiram Woodruff, Budd Doble, John Splan, and 
Charles Marvin, men who drove the greatest horses on the track 



THE AMERICAN TROTTER AND PACER 



63 




between 1850 and 1900, Among present-day drivers of note are 
Edward Geers, " the silent man," the most highly respected driver 
on the circuit, Alta McDonald, Walter R. Cox, Thomas W. Murphy, 
Charles Valentine, "' Mike " McDevitt, and Dick McMahon. In 
one year Mr. Murphy won ^86,110 in various races. 

The distribution of the standard-bred horse is very general over 
the United States, although more especially east of the Missouri 
River. It is the most adaptable of horses and seems well suited 
to the sunny South or 
to the cooler latitudes 
farther to the north. 
The automobile has re- 
duced the interest in 
maintaining stables of 
standard-breds, except- 
ing in a limited num- 
ber of cases, where 
horses are specifically 
bred for the race 
course and for gentle- 
men's drivers. Ameri- 
can trotters have been 
exported to some extent in the past, more especially to Russia, 
Austria, and Germany. Russians were considerably interested and 
were good buyers prior to the World War. In 191 1 Bit and Spur 
stated that more than one hundred of our fastest and best-bred 
trotting stallions had been exported, and gave a list of eighteen, 
including Cresceus, with records ranging from 2:02] to 2:09|. 

The official promotion of the standard-bred horse is under the 
supervision of the American Trotting Register Association, with 
headquarters for many years at Chicago. The " Trotting Register " 
was established and first published in 1871 by J. H. Wallace. The 
American Trotting Register Association purchased the register 
from Mr. Wallace and also an annual yearbook of records which he 
also published. Since then these two sets of volumes have been 
known as Wallace's "American Trotting Register " and Wallace's 
" Yearbook of Trotting and Pacing." Up to and including 1918 the 
former comprised twent)'-tvvo large volumes and the latter thirty-four. 



Fig. 19. A close finish between two of the most 

noted horse owners and drivers in America. From 

photograph by courtesy of the Horse Review 



CHAPTER VII 

THE HEAVY HARNESS HORSE TYPE 

The heavy harness horse is often referred to as the coach, or 
carriage, horse. This type is intended for the special purpose of 
drawing heavier kinds of carriages and coaches. This horse is 
also of value in light, active work, where a heavier type than the 
American trotter is desired. The size and conformation generally 
found in the coach breeds are associated with this type. The 
American trotter of the larger size may, however, furnish the 
essentials needed in a high-class heavy harness horse. 

The general appearance of a heavy harness horse in good 
condition shows smooth, graceful body lines. The height should 
be about i6 hands and the tvcigJit from iioo to 1250 pounds 
for geldings or mares. Stallions will usually range from 1250 to 
1550 pounds, according to breed. In quality the heavy harness 
horse should be superior, showing the best of feet, bone, and hair. 
Action, high and strong at both knee and hock, is important, 
while graceful carriage is equally essential. In general appearance 
the best type of heavy harness horse shows a long arching neck, 
round full body, long level croup, high carriage of tail, and what 
is known as a "' trappy " gait. 

The Jicad of the heavy harness horse should be lean, graceful, 
broad of forehead, rather prominent and bright of eye, deep of 
cheek and wide and strong in lower jaw, the muzzle fine and 
nostrils full and open, the ears refined, being neither large nor 
small, carried close and erect and turning in slightly at the tips. 
The head should show quality in its leanness, intelligence in the 
broad, full forehead, and animation in brightness of eye and car- 
riage of ear and head. A smooth, neat attachment of head to 
neck is essential, a fullness at the throat and about the windpipe 
being objectionable. 

The neck of the heavy harness horse in its ideal development 
appears somewhat long, is gracefully arched, and shows a smooth, 

64 



THE HEAVY HARNESS HORSE TYPE 



65 



full, muscular development, yet is entirely free from the thickness 
of draft-horse character. A ewe neck is out of place in this class. 
Much of the style and symmetry of the heavy harness horse at 
rest is seen in the carriage and make up of head and neck. The 
neck should blend smoothly in its attachment to the body. 

The chest of the heavy harness horse has neither the thickness 
of the draft horse nor the narrowness of the Thoroughbred, but 
should be a happy medium, deep, with the breast carried out in 
some prominence. Too broad a chest prevents a free, easy gait. 




Fig. 20. IJrigham Pearl, a Hackney iiiaie and a great example of the heavy har- 
ness type. Note the maximum stride, but one foot touching the ground. From 
photograph by courtesy of the owner, S. L. Howe, Vancouver, British Columbia 

The sJiojtldcrs of the heavy harness horse are long and oblique, 
sloping well into the back, with withers somewhat prominent yet 
refined. A steep shoulder prevents strong, rapid movement and 
produces hard action, conducive to defects of feet and legs. High 
or free knee action is dependent on a long, well-laid, muscular 
shoulder. 

The body of the heavy harness horse should be round, short on 
top, and long below, the ribs being long and well arched and the 
back and loin covered smoothly with strong, thick muscle. The 
loin, in particular, calling for strength, should be level, broad, and 



66 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

thick. Depth of body at both front and hind fianks is desirable, 
with not too much prominence and overshadowing of hips. 

The croi/:p furnishes the power ; hence it should be long and 
broad, carried high, and thickly muscled. A steep, short croup 
is inconsistent with well-balanced conformation. The tail should 
have a high attachment and be carried with style. 

The tJiighs and quarters of the heavy harness horse must be 
muscular and plump, showing fullness of outline. The muscle of 
the thighs at the quarters must be thick and deep, giving fullness 
to the hind end. The gaskin, or lower thigh, should be strongly 
muscled and long. 

The Jiocks of the heavy harness horse, viewed from one side, 
should be deep from front to the point behind ; the front should 
be broad and the rear thin, the entire joint being lean and smooth, 
with no puffiness or coarseness. The action so essential in a 
coach horse can only be found in a normal, smooth, and strong hock. 

The legs of the heavy harness horse, as a whole, must show 
cleanness, good bone, and plenty of muscle. The arm must be 
short, broad, and flat, with great muscle development. The elbows 
should stand out, showing room between the legs and chest, indi- 
cating easy-moving power. If the elbow is too close to allow the 
easy insertion of the hand between it and the body, the legs will 
not stand straight and the front toes will turn out, while if the 
elbow is too far from the body, the opposite result will obtain, in 
either case giving an awkward movement. TYiO. fair arm should be 
very long and strongly muscled, wide at top, and tapering grace- 
fully downward. The knee in its strength is broad in front and 
narrow behind, full and prominent, and strongly attached both 
above and below. Sometimes the knees come too close together, 
often they are crooked, and occasionally they project too far over 
the cannon bones. The eannons, both front and rear, should be 
flat, smooth, short, and strongly attached above and below. The 
tendons which pass along behind should stand out clear and 
strong, thus giving depth to the leg at this point. As the hand is 
passed down over the cannons no unnecessary roughness should 
be felt. Under both knee and hock the cannons should be deep, 
showing a strong attachment at these joints. The fetloek should 
be strong and placed straight and should be free from fleshiness. 



THE HEAVY HARNESS HORSE TYPE ^J 

The pasterjis should stand at an angle of about 45 degrees with 
the floor and be long, smooth, and springy. As the horse stands 
naturally the pasterns should be well sustained, with no tend- 
ency to drop low and appear weak. If the pastern is short or 
straight an easy gait cannot be assumed, and the conditions 
promote foot and leg diseases. A correct pastern at 45 degrees 
allows the proper placing of the foot, the frog striking first, with 
the resulting jar or concussion less than it would be otherwise. 
The feet are most important, and a capable judge of the horse 
will give them almost a first consideration. These should be of 
suitable size, round, wide at top, well developed at heel, and pref- 
erably of dark, hard bone. Ample size is important, for a small 
foot in the horse presages trouble. The hind part, or heel, should 
be wide and of reasonable depth, a low heel and flat foot being 
associated with poor feet. The bottom of the foot, or sole, 
should be concave and well arched. In a well-formed foot the 
frog should be wide at the heel, be strongly developed, and 
just touch the ground when the horse is at rest. Passing about 
the frog in a continuation of the wall of the hoof from behind 
is the bar of the foot. This bar helps to hold the sole of the 
foot together and should be strong and show character. The 
front feet are usually rounder than the hind and are also more 
subject to injury and more commonly defective than the hind feet. 
Action in the heavy harness horse is an absolute requirement. 
People vary in the degree to which they desire this. The lover 
of the Hackney desires a rather high, bold knee action of a flashy 
sort, with a notable elevation of the foot at its highest point. The 
hind legs have a powerful movement, the hocks are strongly bent, 
or flexed, and the legs are carried well up under the body. This 
is what is known as a "trappy gait," and such a horse as a " high- 
stepper." Such a gait is not consistent with the best speed, and 
wise lovers of the horse prefer less high action and more reach 
and power. F"urther, with high knee action comes a greater con- 
cussion to limbs and feet and consequently greater punishment 
and more rapid wearing out of the horse than would otherwise be 
the case. Especially is this true on the city pavement, Trueness 
of action is essential, whether a high-stepper or not, the legs be- 
ing carried forward in the same general line and the feet moved 



68 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

neither in nor out. The hocks should be firm and not show weak- 
ness, as springing wide apart when in action, and the feet should 
be held true, neither turning in nor out at the toes. When either 
at walk or trot the horse should pass from or come toward the 
judge on the same true line, without sidewise gait, dragging feet, 
paddling, clicking, etc. Straight and regular movement should 
be sought for. Ordinarily a coach horse is expected to have a 
speed of about eight or ten miles an hour in continuous road work. 




Fig. 21. Brigham Pearl, showing extreme flexing of knees and hocks, with but 
two feet on the ground. From photograph by courtesy of Mr. Howe 

Subclasses of heavy harness horses. On account of the special 
requirements of city trade, in relation to the size and use of various 
vehicles, the coach horse is divided into groups. This classification 
only occurs, however, in the important horse shows and in the 
exclusive trade of the city dealer. Pure -bred coach horses, as a 
rule, do not come within these subclasses when of the smaller type, 
though the Hackney may furnish an exception. The following 
three subclasses are the principal ones of interest : 

The Park horse is a coach horse of the smaller class, in which 
arc found typical heavy harness conformation and a very flashy style 
of action. This represents the finest of the subtypes referred to 
and stands from 1 5 to 1 5 1 hands and weighs 1000 to 1 1 50 pounds. 



THE HEAVY HARNESS HORSE TYPE 69 

Action of the Park horse should be extremely high, with the best 
of balance and the limbs moving in perfect rhythm. Park horses 
are driven single or in pairs and occasionally in fours. They are 
attached to light pleasure vehicles, such as phaetons, gigs, park 
drags, and victorias. 

The Cob is a small, compact type of the subclass heavy harness 
horse, too large for a pony. His full, compact form has come to 
be known as "cobby," which term expresses his general confor- 
mation. He stands from 14^ to 15^ hands high and weighs 900 
to 1 100 pounds. The Cob has a smart gait, with high action and 
a fair amount of reach. Cobs are very common in England and 
Wales. They show great speed and endurance and are commonly 
hitched singly to comparatively heavy carts. They are also used 
on light broughams or phaetons. 

The Runabout combines features of conformation of a small, 
heavy harness horse with more of the action of the light harness 
horse. In fact, by some he is regarded as of the light harness 
class, while others place him in the heavy harness class. He 
stands I4| to 15^ hands high and weighs 900 to 1050 pounds. 
He is not quite so stocky as the Cob and lacks his trappy gait. 
This is a handy small driver, adapted to a variety of conditions, 
easily handled, and valued on the market at a modest price. 



CHAPTER VIII 

THE HACKNEY 

The word "Hackney" has long been in use in Great Britain. 
The Norman invaders in the eleventh century brought from 
France the term " haquenee," or " hacquenee," which is of uncer- 
tain derivation. As early as 1303 this word is said to have come 
into active use. This same century Chaucer in his writings refers 
to the hakeney or haknay, spelling it both ways.^ Prior to the 
eleventh century it is supposed that the word "nag" (which is 
akin to the verb " to neigh ") was the common term in reference 
to the saddle horse of light type. Since those early days the 
words "nag" and "Hackney" have been in common use. 

The native home of the Hackney is located in eastern and 
northeastern England, in the counties of Suffolk, Norfolk, and 
York. The people in this region have for centuries greatly pat- 
ronized the saddle horse or roadster. In the fifteenth century 
trotting horses were highly esteemed, and a Berney of Norfolk 
placed an estimate equivalent to $350 on one of his horses. 

The original Hackney stock was subjected to variable influ- 
ences. The Romans no doubt introduced horses from southern 
Europe, and these must have bred with the native English stock. 
Following them came Scandinavian intruders, and it is assumed 
that Norwegian ponies were used in the mixture, giving l^ritish 
horse stock both speed and endurance. The abundance of trot- 
ting horses in sections occupied by Danish settlers would indicate 
the popularity of this type. Besides the commingling of different 
strains of blood, some enactments on horse breeding and devel- 
opment took place by royal decree as far back as 1495, when 
Henry VII was on the throne. In 1558 Ralph Blundeville of 
Norfolk produced the first English book on the horse, which 
he designated " The Foure Chiefcst Offices belonging to Horse- 
manship," now a rare and much-sought work. 

J The Hackney Studbook, \'ol. I, 1S84 ; with a Historical Introduction by 
Henry K. Euren. 

70 



THE HACKNEY 



71 



The early development of Hackneys really began in the eight- 
eenth century. In Norfolk there frequently appeared in the 
papers advertisements regarding horses for sale or breeding 
purposes, various animals being named specifically. These state- 
ments showed the use of Arabian, Barb, and Turkish stallions 
on Norfolk mares. Undoubtedly the road horses of Norfolk and 
Suffolk were much appreciated for speed, and any blood that 




Fig. 22. Enfield Nipper 640 (8133), a well-known prize-winning Hackney stallion 

and sire. Owned by W. D. Henry, Sewickley, Pennsylvania. From photograph 

by Schreiber & Sons 

would contribute to this purpose and not injure stamina was used. 
Thus the Thoroughbred also played a part in early Hackney 
development. 

The important evolution of the Hackney began with a horse 
variously known under the names of Schales, Shales, The Origi- 
nal Shales, and Shields. This stallion was foaled in 1755 and 
was thought to be sired by Blaze, a son of Flying Childers. In 
the breeding of this horse, registered in the first volume of the 
English "Hackney Studbook " as The Original Shales (699), 



;2 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

occurs Arabian, Turk, and Barb blood. He is but four generations 
from the Darley Arabian. The Original Shales sired among 
others one son, Scot Shales (692), that proved a great breeder, 
although not famous for speed. He was noted for getting " good 
stock out of common mares." In 1782 he was "justly esteemed 
the best stallion known to get good road horses." The Original 
Shales was also sire of Driver (187), that proved a great breeder. 
Coming along after these, as important factors in Hackney 
development and history, were the following : Fireaway (201) 
(Jenkinson's), foaled in 1780; Fireaway (203) (West's); Fire- 
away (211) (Flanders'); Pretender (596) (Wroot's) ; Fireaway 
(208) (Burgess'); Bellfounder (52) (Stevens'); Bellfounder (55) 
(Jary's), imported to America in 1822; Wildfire (864) (Rams- 
dale's) ; The Norfolk Cob (475) ; The Norfolk Phenomenon (522) ; 
Phenomenon (573) (Ramsdale's), foaled in 1835 ; Sir Charles 
Beal's (768), foaled in 1843; Denmark (177) (Bourdas'), foaled 
in 1862 ; Danegelt (174), foaled in 1879 and died in 1894. 
During the past fifty years the blood of Denmark and Danegelt 
has been most potent in Hackney history. Perhaps the five sires 
of most importance in the last quarter of the nineteenth century 
were Lord Derby 2d, Bourdas' Denmark, Triffitt's Fireaway, 
D'Oyley's Confidence, and Danegelt. 

The introduction of the Hackney to America dates back to 
1822, when James Booth of Boston imported, from Liverpool, 
Bellfounder (55) (Jary's), commonly known as imported Bell- 
founder. He was sired by Bellfounder (52), with Pretender (596) 
for grandsire, and out of a mare named Velocity. The Bell- 
founders proved animals of great speed and endurance, tracing 
back from the original Fireaways. Bellfounder was the sire of 
the Charles Kent Mare, the dam of Hambletonian 10. The great 
speed in the Hambletonian family of trotters may justly be regarded 
as tracing through the Bellfounder lineage. 

It is believed that the Hudson Bay Company imported to 
Canada in 1830 an English Hackney named Fireaway, but for 
years no importations of this breed other than these two came 
to America, and they were not brought over as Hackneys. In 
188 1 M. H. Cochrane of Hillhurst, Canada, brought an impor- 
tation to Canada from England, having among others a fine 



THE HACKNEY 73 

stallion named Fordham, by Denmark (177). The first Hackney 
stud founded in the United States was established by A. J. Cas- 
satt of Philadelphia. In the spring of 1883 he imported the 
stallion Little Wonder and the mares Patience and Buttercup, 
having previously brought over the mare Stella, by Confidence 
(158). Little Wonder was exhibited in 1883 and later proved 
to be a sire of much excellence. Other importations were 
as follows: Prescott Lawrence, Newport, Rhode Island, 1884; 
J. B. Perkins, Cleveland, Ohio, 1887; Henry Fairfax, Aldie, 
Virginia, 1888 ; John A. Logan, Youngstown, Ohio, 1888 ; Gal- 
braith Brothers, Janesville, Wisconsin; J. H. Truman and Sons, 
Bushnell, Illinois ; Powell Brothers, Springboro, Pennsylvania ; 
and some others, 1889. In 1890 Dr. Seward Webb, Shelburne 
Farms, Vermont, made an importation of twenty-seven mares and 
four stallions, the most important consignment up to this time. 
Since then many Hackneys have been brought to the United 
States from England, 

Hackney characteristics are especially shown in conformation 
and gait. The head naturally tends to be wide in the forehead, 
full in the mouth, with an eye that is bold and active. The neck, 
which is often full at the throatlatch, inclines to coarseness and 
tends to some crest effect. The body is deep ribbed, full in 
front and behind, and the back wide and strong. The croup is 
usually long, level, and wide, and the thighs are very strongly 
muscled. The legs and feet are noted for their soundness. The 
Hackney may perhaps be regarded as blockier of form than other 
coach breeds of coblike character. Mr. Henry F. Euren states 
that the general description of the Hackney which fitted both old 
style and new ideal is in brief this : " A powerfully built, short- 
legged, big, broad horse, with an intelligent head, neat neck, 
strong, level back, powerful loins, and as perfect shoulders as 
can be produced." 

The gait of the Hackney originally had its chief value in a long, 
strong trot for road work. With the evolution of years the fashion 
of modern times called for the high-stepper, with extravagant 
action. The horse Confidence (158) was the sire of many horses 
of this type of gait, and, as some think, to the detriment of the 
breed, though "the get of Confidence yielded a larger total profit 



74 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



than any other horse of his day." While the fancy city trade 
desires matched pairs with very high action, this is inconsistent 
with the most graceful or forceful movement. The ideal Hackney 
has a perfect walk and a trot associated with a powerful stride. 
The feet are carried clear and full from the ground and are 
strongly and actively raised at the knee, while the hock is carried 
forward under the body with much grace, strength, and action. 
Hayes states ^ that the Hackney has been evolved into a light, 

high-stepping, showy 
carriage horse and 
that his conformation 
is not well suited to 
saddle work of the 
present day, which has 
turned toward army 
service and jumping. 
The color of the 
Hackney is commonly 
chestnut, but bay or 
brown are rather fre- 
quent. Black, roan, 
and buckskin are 
found also, but are 
of rare occurrence. 
Chestnut has become 
almost a typical color 
with this breed. Re- 
ferring to this color, Hayes says that "it is an interesting fact 
that chestnut Hackneys are generally better shaped and have more 
brilliant action than Hackneys of other colors, and consequently 
they form the large majority of winners at shows. This success 
of chestnut color is not always continued in the sale ring, because 
purchasers of harness horses usually prefer bay or brown." White 
markings, such as a star or blaze on the face or white on the lower 
part of the leg, also occur. 

The height of the Hackney shows considerable variation, but 
in the larger type it ranges in popular favor from 15^ to I5| 




Fig. 23. A Hackney filly foal demonstrating action 

at six weeks of age. From photograph by courtesy 

of W. D. Henry, Sewickley, Pennsylvania 



1 M. H. Hayes, The Points of the Horse. London, 1904. 



THE HACKNEY 



75 



hands. In 1885 the Royal Agricultural Society of England, at 
the request of the Hackney Studbook Society, increased the 
standard height for the breed to 15I hands, and the class was 
well filled. There are Hackney ponies under 14 hands, Hackney 
cobs larger than ponies, and Hackney coachers over 16 hands. 

The soundness of the Hackney has been made a subject of 
special study by the English Hackney Society. At the first show 
of Hackneys in London, in 1885, some twenty mature stallions 




Fig. 24. Hildred, one of the most perfect Hackney mares in the history of the 

American show ring. Imported and owned by the late Eben D. Jordan, Boston, 

Massachusetts. From photograph by courtesy of Mr. Jordan 

were selected by the judges as absolutely sound. For many years 
the Hackney Society made a rule that only sound horses, passing 
a veterinary examination, should compete in the annual show of 
the breed. Thousands of horses have been examined, with per- 
centages of rejection ranging about five, a rather remarkable and 
creditable showing. 

Half-bred or grade Hackneys have been looked upon with favor 
in Great Britain, while in France Hackney stallions have had 
much influence. A study of pedigrees will show an important 



'j6 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

relationship of Norfolk-Hackney blood in building up the French 
Coach, and the French have not been backward in using the 
Hackney for crossbreeding. In America Hackney stallions have 
been used in a limited way in the more eastern states. The late 
Henry Fairfax of Virginia used Hackney stallions on common 
farm mares with much success, and grades of this breeding 
have been successfully exhibited. Some years ago the late 
John A. Logan, Jr., had an extensive Hackney stud at Youngs- 
town, Ohio, where he had about fifty racing mares of different 
blood lines. Crossing these with a Hackney stallion, he secured 
very satisfactory results. Philip Baker, in an article on the Hack- 
ney in war time,^ in which he discusses the influence of cross- 
breeding to secure substance, states that the Hackney on the 
Thoroughbred, "when the mating is undertaken with discretion," 
produces offspring that is generally active, handsome, and pos- 
sessed of a good back, barrel, legs, and feet, and, last but not 
least, is sound in wind and eyesight. These good-tempered horses 
can either carry a heavy weight or draw a load, or both. 

Imitation Hackneys in the past have had some sale, especially 
in America. High-acting trotters of the right conformation have 
been fixed by professionals to bear a close resemblance to true 
Hackneys. Dr. A. G. Hopkins, in a letter to Captain Hayes,^ 
conveys to him the methods in vogue. He writes : 

During a winter's stay in Chicago, where I did post-graduate work with 
Dr. M. H. McKillip, who is the leading veterinarian in that city, I helped in 
several of these operations. Standard-bred stallions, often with marks of from 
2:40 to 2:25, are procured and castrated. Later on they are docked and their 
tails set up by nicking, and when they get great growth of foot and plenty of 
iron, they can pull their knees up to their chins. The Anglomaniac gets caught, 
for he knows nothing about horses. The imitation Hackney seldom bends his 
hocks properly, and when he is pushed he often spraddles, as the trotter does 
in the sulky. 

The distribution of the Hackney is more widespread than that 
of any other coach-horse breed. It is generally found in the east- 
ern and north central LTnited States — Pennsylvania, New York, 
Massachusetts, and Illinois being breeding centers. It is also 

1 Live Stock Journal Almanac, 1917, London. 
- The Points of the Horse, p. 568. 



THE HACKNEY 77 

found almost all over the world. Horses have been exported 
from England to Africa, Australia, Belgium, Argentina, Canada, 
Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, 
Spain, the United States, and elsewhere. 

The effect of the motor on Hackney breeding has been very 
serious, as might have been expected. At the present time there 
are very few breeding studs in America, and these are largely for 
the purpose of turning out show-ring horses. The horse show 
is yet in public favor, and while the jumper is receiving great 
attention both in Europe and in America, the harness horse also 
awakens keen interest. In this capacity the Hackney heads the 
list in English-speaking countries. 

The promotion of the Hackney in England has been cared for 
by the Hackney Horse Society, organized in 1883 and publish- 
ing its first studbook in 1884. Up to 19 17 this society had 
published thirty-four studbooks. The American Hackney Horse 
Society was organized in 1891 and published its first studbook 
in 1893. Up to 19 1 8 the society had pubhshed four studbooks. 



CHAPTER IX 



THE FRENCH COACH 

Horse racing in France dates back several centuries. It is said 
that racing was practiced in 1323 under Cliarles le Bel and even 
earlier. Systematic attempts to improve the racing horse began 
during the reign of Louis XIV, in the latter part of the seven- 
teenth century. Colbert, one of the ministers of Louis XIV, 




Fig. 21;. A corner of the stable yard of M. Gaston Fanet, Fontaine-Henry, 

Calvados, France, in the French Coach country. The wall ornaments are 

medals indicating prizes won at shows; such medals often decorate French 

stables. From photograph by the author 

founded the '" Administration des Haras." During these early 
days more or less horse racing was engaged in, but in no per- 
sistent form. French horses were taken to England between I77S 
and 1790 and raced on the turf by I^Yench owners. The I'^rench 
saw the merit of the English Thoroughbreds, and along in this 
period they began to buy and send them to France for both 
breeding and racing purposes. Several of the sires taken to 

78 



THE FRENCH COACH 



79 



France in and about 1776 became famous, as, for example, 
Comus, by Otho; Glowworm, by Eclipse; King Pepin, by Turf; and 
Pyrois, by Matchem. Some mares were also taken across the 
Channel. Very early in the nineteenth century Napoleon the 
Great undertook to promote the development of the horse, though 
he had in view the army service as well as use on the turf. 

The French Jockey Club was organized in 1833, and with it 
came the first real influential development of the light horse in 
France. This club was aristocratic, wealthy, and influential, and 
it began to promote 
racing and breeding. 
Since that time the 
government's haras, 
the Jockey Club, and 
horse-breeding socie- 
ties have done much 
to improve the horses 
of France. 

Origin of the French 
Coach horse. The 
term "' French Coach " 
is an American one, 
there being no breed 
of that name in 
France. The type of 
horse that we know by 
this name in America is termed Demi-Sang in France, meaning 
"half-blood." These horses when descended from English sires, 
especially Thoroughbreds and Norman mares, have been called 
Anglo-Normans and are often referred to as such. Hackney, Arab, 
and other blood has also been used in developing the Demi-Sang. 

Characteristics of the French Coach. This breed really pre- 
sents some variation in type. The larger, smoother sort at one 
time brought to America is what we know as the coacher. These 
generally average about 16 hands high for stallions and geldings 
of maturity. Mares will stand from 15 to 16 hands. Stallions in 
fair condition, weighing about 1350 pounds, may be regarded as 
acceptable in weight, with mares at 1200 pounds. There is also 




Fig. 2G. Flirteur, three-year-old French Coach stal- 
lion, champion at the Paris Horse Show, 1908. From 
photograph by the author 



8o 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



a smaller, more cobby type of coacher, or French trotter, that is 
highly valued by the French for its speed quality. 

The French Coach is characterized by very good length of body, 
with a long, somewhat arching neck and a long, wide, level croup. 
The trot of this breed is long and powerful, rather than high and 
trappy like the Hackney. The French have sought strong bone 
and excellent feet and great speed for a heavy type of trotter. 

There is not a great variation in color, bay in varying shades 
and brown being most common. Of 147 stallions and mares 

owned at one time by 




i^ti 




two of the leading 
dealers in the United 
States there were 90 
bays or brown bays, 
29 browns, 1 7 blacks, 
and 1 1 chestnuts. 

The French race 
track, which is either 
two and one-half or 
two miles long, is 
over a course of turf. 
The sod track causes a 
high knee action and 
long stride as well as 
a strong, well-flexed 
hock movement. 

Speed records of 
French Coachers. As 
might naturally be supposed, the use of stallions from high-class 
speed ancestry on French mares produced fast trotters. The horses 
of France, however, have never made as fast time as those of 
America. In 1873 Niger trotted 2 1 miles in 6:55, while up to 
1877 the fastest record was by Pactole, who made 2| miles in 
6:38. In 1891 there were 1399 contestants in races, 312 of which 
trotted races from 2 to 3| miles at less than 3 minutes per mile, 
137 under 2:50, 112 under 2:45, and 62 under 2:40. 

The distribution of the French Coach horse is confined almost ex- 
clusively to France, although in the past the breed was extensively 



Fig. 



27. A French Coach mare on pasture in Cal- 
vados. From photograph by the author 



THE FRENCH COACH 8 1 

exported to various European countries and to the United States. 
The late Mark W. Dunham of Ilhnois was a prominent importer 
and breeder and had a large stud, as did also Powell Brothers 
of Springboro, Pennsylvania. McLaughlin Brothers of Ohio were 
active importers for many years. The French Coach, however, 
never made an acceptable record in America, though a great 
favorite in France, where it has in the past been the leading 
breed. The advent of the automobile effectively destroyed the 
foothold of the French Coach in America and greatly reduced 
its use in France. 

The American French Coach studbook. There were at one time 
two societies in the United States for P^rench Coach horses, namely, 
the F'rench Coach Horse Society, with headquarters at Chicago, 
Illinois, and the French Coach Registry Company, with head- 
quarters at Columbus, Ohio. The former was organized in 1885 
and published its first and only studbook in 1906. The French 
Coach Registry Company was organized in 1904 and published 
Volume II, its last studbook, in 1908. Both of these associations 
are now defunct, as the PYench Coach horse is practically extinct 
in America. 



CHAPTER X 

THE GERMAN COACH 

The native home of the German Coach horse is in northwestern 
Germany in the rich lowlands drained by the rivers Elbe, Weser, 
and Ems, which flow into the North Sea. Here, especially in the 
states of Hanover, Oldenburg, and Schleswig-Holstein, this type 
of coach horse has long been bred. 

Early records of horse breeding in Germany go back about five 
centuries. As early as 1500 important fairs in Friesland on the 
German border were patronized by Dutch, Belgian, and German 
horse buyers. From 1628 to 1648 Count Ulrich II owned stables 
of much importance. In 1648 a government stud was established 
at Ilo, Germany. P>om these early days, up to the World War, 
horse-breeding operations in Oldenburg and Hanover were exten- 
sively conducted. Government supervision has prevailed over the 
horse breeding in this section of Germany. 

The introduction of the German Coach horse to America is 
comparatively recent. These horses were first brought to the 
United States along in the eighties. Not much prior to 1890 did 
the breed receive recognition at American shows. A. B. Holbert, 
of Greeley, Iowa, was one of the earliest introducers of the breed. 
The Oltmann Brothers of Illinois and Crouch and Son of Indiana 
were also actively and prominently identified with its promotion 
during its career in the United States. 

Characteristics of the German Coach horse. In height the breed 
ranges from 16 to 16^ hands and in weight from 1350 to 1450 
pounds. The color does not vary greatly, being almost exclusively 
bay, brown, or black. The head is fairly typical of the coachers, 
the neck being long and arched, the shoulders well placed, and 
the withers prominent. The body of the German Coach is some- 
what larger than that of the French Coach, and the croup is high 
and the tail well placed. The legs show considerable length, com- 
pared with the Hackney, while the feet are excellent. On the basis 

82 



THE GERMAN COACH 



83 



of many specimens brought to this country, seen by the writer, the 
German Coach varies materially in size and quality. Coarseness is 
not uncommon, as seen in large heads and joints with more or less 
grossness of bone. In action there is a wide difference of merit 
and, from the coach-horse point of view, frequent deficiency. A 
superior folding of knee and fiexing of hock, with desirable activity, 
is not a prevailing attribute of American specimens of the breed. 




Fig. 28. Hannibal, a German Coach stallion, imported by Crouch & Son, 

Lafayette, Indiana. A prize winner of the highest rank at many shows. 

From photograph by the author 

The type of German Coach horse seen in America possesses 
some considerable variation. In 1893, at the World's Columbian 
Exposition at Chicago, an exhibit of over eighty German Coach 
horses was made, including special exhibits from Germany made 
by the Oldenburg Agricultural Society, the Hanoverian Agri- 
cultural Society of central Germany, and the East Friesland 
Head Agricultural Society. There was some considerable varia- 
tion in the types shown, and following the awards by German 



84 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

judges came pronounced objection and dissatisfaction. This re- 
sulted in an editorial statement on the German Coach type, which 
appeared in the Breeders' Gazette and was authorized by the 
German judges. This statement is of importance to American 
students and so is given here : 

The visiting German horsemen make the following claims concerning the 
light types of horses. Four types of light-legged horses are recognized, and 
each now has its separate studbook. The Trakeluier is the lightest of all 
and is a carriage and saddle horse, not a heavy coacher. The Holstein and 
Hanoi'erian horses are about the same type, but the Hanoverians are more 
used for saddle horses and the Holsteins for carriage horses. This difference 
in use implies somewhat of a difference in action. The Ohteiibiirg is the 
heaviest type, and these horses are used for heavy coach work, such as state 
coaches, and as farm or all-purpose horses, and are not put under saddle. 
Then there are the East Friesland horses, which are practically Oldenburgs, 
as they are bred from Oldenburg sires. It is claimed that these distinctions 
are actual rather than artificial. 

The distribution of German Coach horses has been very wide- 
spread. They .have been sold to various European countries, 
South America, South Africa, the United States, and Canadian 
Northwest. For years the most prominent importers, exhibitors, 
and promoters of the breed had headquarters in Indiana, Illinois, 
and Iowa. As these horses never met with a very favorable 
reception in America, no stables of importance were established, 
and since 19 14 the breed has practically disappeared from 
American trade. 

German Coach horse organization in America began in 1892 
with the incorporation, under the laws of Illinois, of the German, 
Hanoverian, and Oldenburg Coach Horse Association. Very soon 
after the organization of this association came the Oldenburg 
Coach Horse Association, which was also incorporated in Illinois, 
but from which very little was ever heard. The former association 
published two volumes of studbooks, up to 1906, containing the 
registration of 3849 animals, mostly stallions. 



CHAPTER XI 
THE CLEVELAND BAY 

The native home of the Cleveland Bay is in Yorkshire, Eng- 
land. The breeding center at present is in the counties of York, 
Durham, and Northumberland. In the Cleveland hills of York- 
shire it has been bred in its greatest purity and derives its name 
from this region. 

The origin of the Cleveland Bay is very obscure. Various 
claims have been made as to its ancestry. Perhaps the most 
reasonable explanation is that it is the result of breeding Thorough- 
breds on British cart-horse mares. The use of Scandinavian horses 
has also been suggested, thus accounting for the black points in 
the Cleveland. The British studbook states that with the pure 
Cleveland of merit the ancestry will go back to one or more of 
the three families that are descendants of Dart (83), The Hob 
Horse (316), and Barley Harvest (447). 

The introduction of the Cleveland Bay to America dates back 
about a century. In 1820 R. Patterson of Maryland imported a 
Cleveland Bay stallion named Exile, which in 1822 was exhibited 
at the show of the Maryland Agricultural Society, receiving 
honorable mention.^ However, the breed gained no foothold. Along 
in the eighties quite a number were imported. At one time 
Stericker Brothers, then of Springfield, Illinois, had a large stud 
of this breed and made most attractive exhibits. The people of 
the United States, however, have never been favorably impressed, 
consequently Cleveland Bay interests have essentially died out, 
and these horses are now unknown in our shows. In 1900 the 
class for Cleveland Bays at the Illinois State Fair was discontinued, 
yet Illinois but a few years before had the principal stud of this 
breed in America. Neither is there anyone prominently advocat- 
ing — in the press or otherwise — the merits of the breed. 

1 American Farmer, July 5, 1822. 
85 



86 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



Cleveland Bay characteristics. The color is always bay, either 
hght or dark, with black legs, mane, and tail. White is not 
permissible, except a small star in the forehead or a few white 
hairs on the heel. More white, the breeders say, indicates foreign 
blood. The color may be dappled, and dark bars may occasionally 
be seen on the lower arm or possibly a trifle above the hock. 




Fig. 29. Special l)clight. ( hampion Cleveland liay stallion at the show of the 

Royal Agricultural Society of England. From photograph by courtesy of William 

Cooper & Nephews, England 

The body of the Cleveland Bay is of the larger coach type, with 
long, sloping shoulder and high, broad croup. The head has been 
regarded as lacking in refinement, while the limbs have not as 
much quality as the best market demands. In action the move- 
ment is strong and powerful, but not stylish. The breed is per- 
haps the largest of the coach type, but lacks somewhat the quality 
of the prominent coach breeds. The height ranges from 16] to 



THE CLEVELAND BAY 8/ 

i6| hands and the zucight from 1200 to 1400 pounds. Thirteen 
hundred pounds is a very acceptable weight. 

Cleveland Bays as roadsters have ahvays had fame in England 
for this quality. Cases have been known where the Cleveland 
Bay has traveled from sixty to seventy miles within twenty-four 
hours, with heavy loads, three or four times a week, besides 
being employed occasionally on intermediate days. Hodgson, in 
a Journal of the Royal Ag7'icultni'al Society, says : 

I knew a Cleveland mare that carried a man seventy miles a day for a week 
together. Tommy Miles, of Harlsey, near Northallerton, rode his Cleveland 
mare to York for a week together, to have his name called over in court as a 
juryman ; he was in York by nine o'clock every morning (thirty-five miles), 
and slept in his own bed at Harlsey (thirty-five miles) every night. 

The distribution of the Cleveland Bay is rather widespread, 
they having been exported to various parts of the world, inckid- 
ing Sweden, Canada, the United States, South Africa, Australia, 
and South America. At the present time a large share of those 
exported go to South Africa. 

Organizations to promote the Cleveland Bay exist in Great 
Britain and the United States. In England the Cleveland Bay 
Horse Society of Great Britain and Ireland, with headquarters 
in Yorkshire, attends to registering and promoting the breed. 
In the United States the Cleveland Bay Society of America was 
organized in 1885. Up to 191 7 this society had published three 
studbooks. 

The Yorkshire Coach horse bears a peculiar relationship to 
the Cleveland Bay and calls for some consideration at this point. 
In England there is a Yorkshire Coach Horse Society in addition 
to the Cleveland Society, and horses of each kind are registered 
separately. In America, however, Yorkshire Coach horses and 
Cleveland Bays are regarded as one breed and are registered in 
the " Cleveland Bay Studbook of North America." The Yorkshire 
Coach horse is of more recent development than the Cleveland 
and has been designated as an improved Cleveland. It tends to 
be smaller in size, is more coachy in action, and has perhaps 
more quality. The improved quality is due to Thoroughbred 
blood. In the "Yorkshire Coach Horse Studbook of England," 



88 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

published in 1887 by the Yorkshire Coach Horse Society, is 
the following official statement of "The Origin and Character- 
istics of the Yorkshire Coach Horse " : 

It cannot be claimed for the Yorkshire Coach horse that he is a pure-bred 
animal, but that, on the contrary, by the judicious crossing of large-sized, good- 
colored mares with stallions altogether or nearly Thoroughbred a class of horses 
has been produced suited to the wants and circumstances of the times. By uni- 
versal consent the color should be bay or brown, with black eyes, mane and tail 
abundant but not curly, the height from 16 hands to 16 hands 2 inches, with 
fine head, sloping shoulders, strong loins, and lengthy quarters, high-stepping 
action, good sound feet, flat legs, and abundance of bone and muscle. 



CHAPTER XII 

THE DRAFT-HORSE TYPE 

The general conformation of the draft horse involves a massive 
form, a compact and blocky body, and a comparative shortness 
and strength of limb, the whole being in harmonious proportion. 
Weight is a most important consideration, for a true draft horse 
must weigh heavy compared with the lighter type. A draft horse 
in fair condition at maturity may weigh anywhere from 1600 
to 2000 or more pounds. Grouped into classes, the light draft 
horse may weigh usually from 1600 to 1700 pounds, the medium 
from 1700 to 1850, and the heavy from 1850 up. The greater 
the weight, as a rule, the higher the price paid for the superior 
specimen of the type. In order to pull heavy loads the draft 
horse must possess plenty of weight. It is very evident that the 
heavy horse in harness brings greater power into the collar than 
does the lighter one. 

In discussing the medium of draft Hayes writes as follows : 

Bodily weight is of special use in draft on slippery roads, such as those of 
wood pavements and asphalt, because in such case the security of the foothold 
of a heavy horse would not be so much endangered as that of a lighter though 
equally strong animal. Also, the employment of bodily weight on a smooth 
and level road would entail less strain and fatigue than that of muscular pro- 
pulsion. Hence, improvements in roads have been accompanied by increase in 
weight of the cart horse. The question as to the relative proportions of the 
weight and strength of these animals cannot be decided with accuracy owing 
to the infinite variety of conditions which would have to be considered. We 
may, however, take for granted that the comparative weight which would be 
an advantage to a heavy draft horse in a city like London would be a decided 
drawback to the efficiency of a cart horse that had to do his work on arable 
land, especially if it was rough, like on ridge and furrow ; because the raising 
of his weight at each step would entail far greater muscular exertion than if 
his labor was on a smooth road. 

The height is not so material provided there is the necessary 
weight. Draft horses usually stand from 16 to 17^ hands, though 
occasional exceptions occur. The light draft represents the lesser 



90 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

height, and as the weight increases, the height may also bear a 
relationship to it. Quality and substance, as shown in hair, bone, 
and joints, should be preeminent with tliis horse. The hair 
should be fine and silky, even if long, and the bone smooth and 
attractive, with neatly turned joints, the lower limbs being gener- 
ally free from all superfluous fleshiness. Coarse joints are usually 
associated with coarse and poor bone and feet and often with a 
coarse and undesirable head. The long hair on the leg of the 
Clydesdale or Shire is indicative of quality, fine silky hair being 
associated with superior bone and feet. 

The head should be lean, not out of proportion with the body, 
and have plenty of breadth between the eyes, which should be 
reasonably prominent and bright. The nose and muzzle should be 
broad yet not coarse, with nostrils of ample size for easy breathing. 
Nicely matched lips and strong cheeks and lower jaws help to 
make a strong head with character. The head should be crowned 
with fine ears of medium size, gracefully placed and carried. 

The neck of the draft horse should be strong and muscular, 
supporting the head cleanly and gracefully and being joined 
smoothly and deeply at the body. Some arch to the neck is 
des.irable ; this should appear in a very small degree with mares 
and geldings, yet enough to suggest power. 

The shoiddcTs should not be as long and sloping as with a 
light driver, but more upright, being well set into the back — a 
happy medium between the straight and sloping shoulder giving 
the best power and movement for the draft horse. Too straight 
a shoulder promotes excessive concussion and bone trouble of 
the limbs and feet. Smoothness of shoulder is essential, for 
roughness and prominence will be sure to involve soreness and 
trouble from fit of collar. 

The cJiest sliould be full and deep, indicating large capacity 
of the vital organs. Narrowness behind the shoulders is quite 
common and indicates defective constitution. Too much thick- 
ness of chest — an unusual occurrence — may cause a swaying 
movement in action. 

The arui must be large and muscular and placed so as to 
bring the legs in proper position under the body and not standing 
out at the corners. 



THE DRAFT-HORSE TYPE 



91 



Tha foreayni should be comparatively long, broadly and strongly 
muscled in its upper part, and gradually taper to the knee. A 
powerful forearm on the draft horse is highly important, and its 
value is not likely to be overestimated. 

The kuce must be broad, as viewed from the front, be well 
carried back, and be amply supported from below by the cannon 
bone. This part should be neat, hard, and cleanly jointed. 




Fic. 30. A fine example of draft type. From photograph by John W. Hills 



The camion bone is round, but has tendons extending down 
its back edge, more or less separated from the bone. As viewed 
from one side, the cannon and its attachment should be deep, 
amply supporting the knee ; viewed from rear or front it should 
be quite fiat, thus representing the strongest conformation. Often 
the cannon is tied in beneath the knee, which indicates weakness. 
A long or rounded cannon shows faulty conformation. F"latness 



92 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

and shortness below the knee are ahvays associated with the best 
development. A fair girth at the smallest point is 9-] inches. 
A large girth, however, does not always indicate proper develop- 
ment, as the leg may be coarse and out of proportion. 

T\\Q frtlock, or, as it is often called, the pastern joint, must be 
smooth and deep, with no roughness. It is from the tuft of hair 
which grows at the back of this joint that the name " fetlock " 
(feetlock) is derived. 

The pastern is an important part of the leg. It should be 
fairly long, be perfectly smooth and free from extra flesh, and 
stand at an angle of about 45 degrees. At this slope concussion 
is received in perhaps the least degree and with least injury to 
the foot and leg. There is some difference of opinion among 
horsemen on the length of pastern, some preferring one reason- 
ably long and others one of medium length. The slope is more 
important than the length, but no doubt better feet prevail where 
the pastern leans toward length rather than shortness. Sidebones, 
ringbones, and other foot troubles are most prevalent with short, 
straight-pasterned draft horses. As the horse naturally places the 
foot in action, the pressure first comes on the frog and is then 
distributed over the rest of the foot. If the pastern is straight, 
the toe and front of the foot strike first, and thus the concussion 
is aggravated. 

The foot ought to be large, the hoof dense and preferably dark 
in color, the sole concave, and the frog large. There is an old 
saying, " No foot, no horse." Sound feet are absolutely essential 
to comfort and efficiency of work. The interior of the foot con- 
tains very sensitive nerves and membranes. If the foot is too 
small and contracted, if the frog is too narrow and low, inflam- 
mation of the membranes will frequently follow. The ample foot, 
wide on top and behind, well supported at the heel and carried 
true in movement, turning neither in nor out at the toe, is least 
likely to be troubled with disease. 

The body should be short on top, long below, broad along the 
back, with the ribs strongly arched and of great depth. A long 
back indicates weakness of both constitution and draft power, 
while a short, deeply muscled back means strength. Ribs well 
sprung and deep show capacity of the internal organs, indicate a 



THE DRAFT-HORSE TYPE 93 

good feeder, and materially add to the weight necessary in the 
drafter. Usually satisfactory rib development provides a proper 
body conformation. Often immature horses appear to lack depth 
of body to some degree, but age and feeding establish the proper 
proportions. The horse that lacks depth of body will also lack 
such essentials as capacity and the power of endurance. 

The lohi should be broad and thickly muscled. Narrow, thin 
loins indicate weakness of a serious character. Often the loin is 
depressed directly in front of the space between the hips, a dis- 
tinctly undesirable conformation. Animals with a sway back, as a 
rule, show this weakness of loin. 

The croup should be broad, wide, fairly level, and heavily mus- 
cled. A steep croup is very objectionable and affects both the 
beauty and power of the horse. A short, steep croup is less 
strongly muscled than one that is long. The Belgian and French 
draft breeds seem most subject to steepness of croup and low 
setting of tail. 

The tJiigJi should be strongly muscled, and the quarters should 
be thick and full. A horse split up high behind, with a thin, 
sharply tapering thigh, lacks good draft form at this place. The 
gaskin, or lower thigh, when properly made, is deep from front 
to rear and heavily covered with muscle. 

The Jiock is a part which requires careful study. As viewed 
from one side, it should show considerable depth, while from 
the rear it should possess a certain degree of thinness, though 
broad in front, the entire joint being free from extra flesh. 
Thick hocks are very common with draft horses, due to various 
reasons. The joint may be fleshy, pufliness may occur from lack 
of exercise, or a form of spavin may exist. The hock should be 
smooth and its various natural curves well defined. As the horse 
stands in a natural position on his feet, the hocks should be 
straight and true as viewed from behind, showing no evidence 
of weakness. Where the hock holds a correct position the hind 
feet also stand true, neither toeing in nor out. When toeing out 
the points of the hock come too close together, while if toeing 
in notably the points may be wide apart and the hocks appear 
springy and weak when in action. The hock should be supported 
by a wide, thin, clean-boned cannon, which may be about eleven 



94 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

inches in girth at its smallest point. A true position of the 
hind leg may be ascertained by the use of the plumb line, which, 
dropped from the point of the buttock or croup, viewed from 
behind, should pass the center of point of hock, cannon, pastern, 
and foot. From one side it should pass parallel to the entire edge 
of the cannon and, when suspended from the point of the hip, 
should pass the gaskin at the center and drop to the center of 
the foot. 

The action of the draft horse should be true and bold. As the 
horse comes toward one or goes from him the line of movement 
of the limbs should be true, the feet being carried straight awa}', 
with no so-called paddling or irregularity of gait. The feet should 
be picked up with snap, whether at walk or trot, and carried clear 
of the ground, showing the sole of the foot clearly in the move- 
ment. High knee action is not essential, but a strong, full, true 
movement of both knee and hock, without dragging or stiffness, 
is very important. The draft horse should have an active walk, 
for the value of a fast walker considerably exceeds that of the 
sluggish type. In the sale or show ring high-class action with a 
draft horse adds materially to the selling or show value, no matter 
what the breed. A free and easy movement of knee and hock is 
essential to high-class action. In connection with good action the 
head and neck should be carried high, with style and animation. 



CHAPTER XIII 

THE PERCHERON 

The native home of the Percheron horse is in France, in a 
region known in that country as the Perche. In northwestern 
PYance, bounded on the north and west by the sea, is the prov- 
ince of Normandy. It comprises nearly 7,000,000 acres and is 
divided into five geographical or civil departments, — La Manche, 
Calvados, Orne, Eure, and Seine-Inferieure. South and east of 
Normandy is the old province of Orleans, containing the depart- 
ments of Loiret, Eure-et-Loir, and Loir-et-Cher. Within tliis 
territory, including more or less of Eure, Orne, Eure-et-Loir, 
Sarthe, and Loir-et-Cher, is the Perche. This locality — for it has 
no civil organization under this name — embraces an area of about 
fifty-three by sixty-six miles. The surface of the country is rather 
broken, having an altitude ranging from about 270 to 750 feet, 
and is interspersed with numerous pretty valleys and small streams 
of water. The upper waters of the great river Loire pass through 
the south edge of the Perche, while the more modest yet beautiful 
Huisne, with wide-spreading pastures on each side, winds its way 
through much of this, the home of the Percheron. Small grains 
and potatoes are the common crops, while here and there on the 
hillsides apple orchards remind one of some of the apple-growing 
sections of America. The town of Nogent-le-Rotrou, with a 
population of about 8500, has for many years been the recognized 
headquarters of the horsemen of the Perche, while other towns 
of importance are Mortagne, Alengon, and Mamers. Seventy- 
five miles to the northeast from Nogent-le-Rotrou is Paris, and 
between these two cities is to be found one of the most productive 
farming sections of France. 

The origin of the Percheron breed is most obscure. For cen- 
turies horses of a light draft type were bred in the vicinity of 
the Perche. The claim has been made by French writers that this 
is a prehistoric breed, and Sanson, an authority on the French 

95 



96 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



breeds, states ^ that the nearly perfect skull of a prehistoric horse 
excavated in the Seine valley, in 1868, very closely resembled a 
Percheron skull. There has been a variety of opinion in France re- 
garding the origin of the breed, but in no case have we specific 
and substantial information. All is based on theory. Probably the 




Fig. 31. A map of northwestern France, the shaded parts indicating the Percheron 
country, as well as the home of the Nivernais horse and the Poitiers ass 



opinion of the veterinarian M. Gautier, as quoted by Sanders and 
Dinsmore,^ is about right. Speaking at a congress of farmers, held 
in 1843 at Mortagne, this Frenchman is credited with the following : 

Every man who has up to this time written on French and foreign breeds 
says that the Percheron is of Brittany origin. As proof, nothing. Each writer, 
in consulting his predecessor, has reproduced the same opinion. One writer 

1 L'origine des races francaises de chevaux, Vol. Ill, p. 95. 
^ A. II. Sanders and Wayne Dinsmore, A History of the Percheron Horse. 
Chicago, 1917. 



THE PERC HERON 



97 



has said that the Percheron was of English origin. Others say that the 
Percheron is descended from the Arab. For me, if I may give my opinion, 
I believe that the Percheron is a primitive breed, singularly altered, improved 
by crossings at different periods with Arabian and English horses. 

In early times the native stock of the Perche was without doubt 
typical of the draft horse generally existing in northern Europe, 
and it is assumed that here existed the foundation stock from 
which the modern Percheron is developed. 

The improvement of the early Percheron, as already indicated, 
is generally credited by P'rench and other writers to the use of 




Fig. 32. The residence and stable yard of the home of the late M. Charles Aveline, 
La Touche, Nogent-le-Rotrou, France. From photograph by the author 

oriental horses. This is accounted for by the existence of large 
numbers of Arab and Barb horses brought to France by the 
Saracens, especially in the early part of the eighth century. It 
must be understood, however, that the above opinion docs not 
rest on facts. It is reasonable to assume that oriental horses may 
have been used to improve the horse stock of the Perche, but to 
what degree we do not know. Horses were used for pack purposes 
and as cavalry only until the improved agriculture and commerce 
of less than two centuries ago demanded a draft horse. There is 
more or less specific information regarding horse breeding in 
France dating back early in the eighteenth century. Two govern- 
ment studs were established at this time - — one at Le Pin on the 



98 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



borders of the Perche, in 17 14, and the other at Pompadour in 
southwestern France, in 1755. These were destroyed during the 
Revolution, but were restored by Napoleon in 1806 and have ever 
since remained important breeding studs. Draft-horse breeding 
was not attempted in these studs until the nineteenth century, the 
work starting at Le Pin about 1808. The claim has been made 




¥]r,. ^2- Dragon 52155 (63516), champion Percheron stallion at the 1906 and 1907 

International IJve-Stock Expositions, and a famous sire. Owned by E. B. White, 

Leesburg, Virginia. From photograph by courtesy of Mr. White 



by M. Charles Du Hays, in a history of the Percheron, ^ that two 
gray Arabian stallions, Godolphin and Gallipoly, were used about 
1820 in the stud at Le Pin with a remarkably beneficial result. 
The general effect of this Arabian blood on the French horse, 
according to various authors, was to impart quality, as shown in 
superior bone, style, and fmisli. The first edition of this work 
contained this statement. However, recent investigations have 
given new light on this subject. Mr. John Ashton, just prior to 
the opening of the World War, carefully examined many ofificial 

J Charles Du Hays, I,e Chcval Percheron. 



THE PERCHERON 99 

records of the French studs, or haras, ^ and ascertained from 
original Le Pin records that Godolphin was a chestnut Enghsh 
saddle horse and Gallipoly a small Turkish saddle horse. The 
former horse was not regarded good enough for use in the stud 
and was disposed of about 1 8 1 8 ; while Gallipoly was classed as 
an excellent stallion, but "too small and unsuitable for Le Pin," 
and so, after being in the stud from 18 12 to 18 19, was probably 
sent to Brittany. Jean Le Blanc (739), foaled in 1823 or 1824, 
said to have been a true Percheron and a " descendant of Gal- 
lipoly," according to the French ^ was a remarkable stallion and 
responsible for great improvement of the breed. Ashton found 
records of gray draft stallions in government studs, dating back 
to 1808, while specific reference to a Percheron was first made in 
1822, relative to Desarme (538), foaled in 181 5, a bay of un- 
known Percheron ancestry. In 1826 this horse covered twenty-six 
mares. Besides Desarme, along at this period there were several 
Percheron horses in service, including Jocko, Herbager, Remor- 
queur, Joly, and Superior. These horses were placed more or less 
in service in the Perche, under government supervision. 

The early type of Percheron resulting from this amalgamation 
of races was not so large as the present-day type. The farmer 
of the Perche required a horse suited to general purposes, so the 
early type was smaller and more active of foot than the present- 
day Percheron. Either under saddle or before gig, Percherons 
trotted with considerable speed. Records of Percherons show that 
not infrequently they have trotted at a rate of about a mile in four 
minutes. Richardson, an English writer familiar with conditions in 
P'rance, gives interesting illustrations of the ability of this horse 
to travel long distances with considerable speed. -^ 

A gray mare six years old which took a heavy gig 56 miles over a heavy 
road in 4 hours and 24 minutes ; and another, seven years old, drew an ordi- 
nary country gig 55 miles in 4 hours i minute 35 seconds, returning the next 
day over the same ground in 4 hours i minute 30 seconds, the last 14 miles 
being covered in i hour, and neither in going or returning was she touched 
with the whip. 

^ A History of the Percheron Horse, 1917. 

2 Studbook Percheron, tome premier, p. 14. Nogent-le-Rotrou, 1883. 
^ G. G. Richardson, The Corn and Cattle Producing Districts of France, 
p. 188. London, 1877. 



lOO 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



The characteristics of this early type showed less scale, a 
lighter weight, with a height ranging from 15 to 16 hands. It 
was a superior general-purpose horse of draft conformation, yet 
lacking large size and heavy weight. This type met with such 
great favor that buyers from various parts of France, Germany, and 
elsewhere began to draw upon the Perche for their horse stock. 

Percheron deterioration came in with the improvement of the 
breed. Toward the close of the first third of the nineteenth cen- 
tury the demand for these horses in the Perche became so great 

that the farmers sold 




their best brood mares 
and stallions to such 
an extent that they 
had to be replaced. 
Not enough good Per- 
cherons were available, 
so that other P^rench 
races were introduced. 
Large numbers of 
mares similar to Per- 
cherons in size and 
style were introduced 
from Brittany, Picardy, 
Boulogne, Caux, and 
elsewhere. A great 
many of these lacked 
bone, substance, and 
quality. With the improvement of highways came a demand for 
heavier horses, and then buyers purchased large ones to meet 
the increased demand. For a time quality was sacrificed for 
quantity, the heaviest stallion being most in demand. Many of 
the best brood mares of lighter type were sacrificed, thus causing 
serious deterioration. This condition of affairs continued for some 
years, until breeders recognized the absolute necessity of improv- 
ing the breed so as to secure superior type and quality along 
with increased size. 

The type of Percheron about 1877 is described by Ricliardson 
in the following rather comprehensive manner : 



Fig. 34. Etudiant 70S02 (59291), champion Perche- 
ron stallion in France, 1908. Imported to America 
in 1909 by E. B. White of Virginia. In stud in 
Ohio for some years and a successful sire. From 
photograph taken in France by the author 



THE PERC HERON 



lOl 



The characteristics of the best horses are that they run from 15 to 16 hands 
in height : the head is handsome, though perhaps sometimes heavy, but more 
frequently as fine as an Arab's; the nostrils wide; the eye large and expressive; 
the forehead broad ; ears silky ; neck rather short, but with a good crest ; 
withers high : shoulders long and sloping ; chest rather flat, but broad and 




Fig. 35. Giroust 78504 (69869), a Percheron stallion owned by W. H. Butler, 
Sandusky, Ohio. A prominent sire of Ohio futurity winners, as well as a high- 
class show horse. From photograph by E. K. Emslie 



deep; body well ribbed; loins rather long; crupper level and muscular; the 
buttocks often high, leaving a depression above the junction of the tail, which 
is set on high ; joints short and strong ; the tendons often weak ; legs clean 
and free from coarse hair ; feet always good, though rather flat when reared 
upon moist pastures ; the skin fine, and mane silky and abundant ; the color 
is generally gray, but there are some grand black Percherons. . . . Docile, 
patient, honest workers, very hardy, the Percherons are unexcitable, but active 



I02 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

and cheerful, rarely showing bad temper, and very free from natural blemish, 
trotting away cheerfully with heavy loads. The French call them the best 
draft horses in the world. 

Yet even when Richardson penned this (1877) he stated that 
these quahties were rarely found combined in any of the Per- 
cheron horses on account of the deteriorating influences to 
which reference has ah'eady been made. 

The improvement of the Percheron in France is due to both 
pubhc and private methods. The best horses in France have been 
in the past and are at present reserved by the government for 
home improvement. In addition to this, subsidies are paid private 
individuals to keep horses of merit in the stud. Animals are 
critically inspected by government veterinarians, and if up to 
a certain standard they are designated as siibsidized and a cash 
bonus is paid for keeping them in the country on the farm of 
the owner, available to the owners of mares. This bonus ranges 
from 300 to 500 francs ($60 to $100) per year, according to the 
breeding and excellence of the stallion. Horses of not quite so 
good a grade are authorized after passing inspection, and the 
owners are given a card which is a government recommendation 
of the sires to farmers. A third class, known as approved, of 
which there are but few^, are permitted to be in service, but 
neither bonus nor special certificate is given for them. Since 
1885 a government decree has excluded from public service all 
stallions not coming within these classes. 

The introduction of the Percheron to the United States dates 
back many years. French horses were brought to America as 
long ago as 18 16, when a stallion was taken to Quebec and later 
sold to go to Washington County, New York. It has been as- 
sumed that this was a Norman horse. In 1839 the first "genu- 
ine " Percheron importation to America was brought over by 
Edward Harris to Moorestown, New Jersey. This importation 
consisted of one stallion and two mares. The stallion died at 
sea, and the mares were unfortunate, one landing in poor health, 
while the other injured herself in car shipment, necessitating 
killing. Mr. Harris at once returned to PVance and imported the 
stallions Diligence and Bonaparte, with several mares. These 
were the smaller type of Percheron, standing about 1 5 hands 



THE PERCHERON 



103 



high and weighing 1200 to 1500 pounds. Diligence, which died 
in i860, was regarded as a fine specimen of the breed. 

In 1 83 1 an important half century of Percheron history began 
in the United States, At this time Fullington and Martin 
brought to Milford Center, Ohio, the gray colt Louis Napoleon, 
the first importation to the West. He was 15I hands high 
and weighed 1600 pounds. In 1856 A. P. Cushman of Illinois 
purchased him. Louis 
Napoleon proved to 
be a great sire and 
was no doubt one of 
the very best draft 
horses ever brought to 
America. It has been 
estimated that over 
400 of his sons were 
successful stallions. 
In 185 1 Dr. Marcus 
Brown of Circleville, 
Ohio, commissioned 
Samuel Hoi man of 
Chester Springs, Penn- 
sylvania, to purchase 
a stallion for him 
in P'rance. Holman 
bought two, — one for 
himself and one for 
Brown, — both grays, 
and they landed at 

New York on August 12, 1 8 5 i .^ The one for Dr. Brown was named 
Normandy 351 and is often referred to as " Pleasant Valley Bill," 
"Old Bill," or the "Valley Horse." He stood 15^ hands high 
and w^eighed about 1400 pounds, and it is said that for eighteen 
years he averaged about 60 colts a year. Charles Carroll of Bal- 
timore, Maryland, is credited in Volume I of the "Percheron Stud- 
book of America " with importing in 1853 the stallion Chartres 88, 
and J. H. McHenry of the same state with importing the 

1 A History of the Percheron Horse (1917), p- 114- 




Fig. 36. Jocasse (89131), a two-year-old imported 
Percheron mare, the property of IlHnois Univer- 
sity. From photograph by courtesy of Professor 
J. L. Edmonds 



104 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

two mares Lily 572 and Snowdrop 607 in the same year. In 
1856 Jordan and Martin of Woodstock, Ohio, imported the stal- 
Hon Rollin 418, that proved a good sire. Like Louis Napoleon, 
RoUin was sold into Illinois, where he was in service six years. 
Numerous importations followed. In 1868 W. T. Walters of 
Baltimore, Maryland, brought over 7 mares and 4 stallions, he 
being the first person to establish an important breeding stud in 
America. Mr. Walters had lived in France and had studied the 
breed there, and so was able to buy to advantage. In 1870 
M. W. Dunham of Wayne, Illinois, and in 1874 William Sing- 
master of Keota, Iowa, began breeding and importing. They both 
became famous Percheron authorities, and the studs founded by 
them are still in existence. Besides these the Stubblefields of 
l^loomington, Ellis Dillon of Normal, Ezra Stetson of Neponset, 
Illinois, and the Fullingtons of Ohio were early breeders and im- 
porters. According to Sanders and Dinsmore 90 stallions were 
imported to America between 1839 and 1870, of which 42 went 
to Ohio, 24 to Illinois, 10 to Pennsylvania, and 5 to Maryland, 
with 2 each going to Massachusetts, Virginia, Missouri, and New 
Jersey, and i to Kansas. 

The characteristics of the Percheron horse are such as are 
sought in a model draft horse. The Jiead is distinguished for 
its bold, prominent eye, wide, full forehead, straight face, and 
strong jaws. The ears are usually of medium size, refined, and 
attractively set and carried. The neck as a rule has a slight arch 
and is smoothly blended at the body and neatly attached to the 
head. The body of the Percheron is characteristically compact 
and blocky of form, full in the chest, and broad of back. Horses 
of the breed, however, often have steep, rather short croups, with 
the tail set too low. In recent years, however, much attention 
has been given to remedying this defect, with the result that 
present-day exhibitions show many Percherons with excellent 
croups. In depth and fullness of body there is also a lack. The 
legs of the Percheron incline to be short, and the bone is usually 
superior, but the camions not infrequently lack in depth and flat- 
ness, while a full, or puffed, Jiock is more common than it should 
be. This breed has legs free of long hair, such as is strikingly 
seen in Shire and Clydesdale. The feet are generally of good 



THE PERCHERON 



105 



size and shapely, and the dark hoofs of excellent texture. Per- 
cheron action at a walk is reasonably true and snappy, while the 
trot with good representatives of the breed is free and easy. In 
its strong, free action this may be regarded as one of the best 
breeds, although not the equal of the Clydesdale in that respect. 
The fact that in Prance, even to-day, races are held between the 




Fig. 37. Libretto 12 1447 (97907), aged Percheron stallion owned by the Ohio 

State University, Columbus. Second-prize winner at the 1919 Ohio State Fair 

and an excellent sire. From photograph by E. K. Emslie 



lighter type of Percherons is an evidence of their natural activity 
of foot. The things which especially distinguish the Percheron 
breed are the head and neck, suggesting the Arabian, the blocky 
body and steep tendency of croup, the short, smooth legs, the 
characteristic color, and superior action. As a draft beast the 
pure-bred or high-grade Percheron ranks in P'rance and America 
in the very first class, as is evident from his preponderance in 
numbers over all other breeds. 



I06 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

The color of the Percheron is usually a gray or black. Bays 
and browns occur, but are not common. Gray from the beginning 
has been the most popular color in the Perche, and in the days 
of the stagecoach the gray color, being more easily seen at night 
than black, contributed to its popularity. Many of the greatest 
stallions in the history of the breed have been grays. Fashion 
has had a part in influencing the color of the Percheron, and for 
years American importers have been seeking blacks to meet the 
demands of customers. It is said that at the fair at Chartres, 
France, in P'ebruary, 1877, one dealer had eighteen blacks, for 
which he asked about the equivalent of $10,000 for the lot, 
"and they were well worth it." In recent years, however, gray 
has grown in popularity, ranging from a dark iron gray with 
light mane and tail to a pure white. A colt apparently black, 
but having scarcely noticeable white hairs on the body among 
the black, will gradually become gray with age if both mane 
and tail are light in color. The bay or brown is a distinctly 
unpopular color and is not representative of the breed. In 191 7 
Secretary Wayne Dinsmore of the Percheron Society of America 
sent out a circular letter to Percheron breeders, in which he 
showed the proportions of colors with two thousand horses of 
the breed registered in Volume XVIII of the studbook. Com- 
menting on the facts brought out, IVIr. Dinsmore says : 

The outstanding feature is the fact that 90.85 per cent are blacks and grays, 
either whole or colored, or with some white marks, such as star, strip, snip, 
white pasterns, or other distinguishing marks. Solid colored horses, even in 
blacks and grays, constitute but a small proportion of the total. . . . Bays or 
brown bays, with or without markings, make up but 3.45 per cent of the total. 
Browns without the bay tinge aggregate 3.25 per cent, and some of these latter 
prove to be blacks. Chestnut and sorrel mean the same thing in the minds of 
many horsemen, and all reported have some white markings, yet total only 
1.5 per cent. Several kinds of roans are listed, but all told they amount to 
only 0.95 per cent of the total, or less than one per cent. 

The weight and height of the Percheron place him in the 
medium class of draft horses, although very large specimens of 
the breed are recorded. The average weight of the mature stallion 
is from 1700 to 2000 pounds, while the mares range from 1600 
to 1 800 pounds. The heavier weights are rarely reached, excepting 



THE J'ERCHERON 107 

with horses in high condition. The height of stalHons ranges 
ordinarily from 16 to 17 hands and mares from 1 5 i to 1 6 ^ 
hands. A lower-set type is desired, but where heavier weight is 
emphasized 17 hands is necessary to show plenty of scale and 
substance. The following figures of heights and weights of 
stallions of distinction are of interest: Brilliant 1271 stood 
16 hands and weighed 1850 pounds; Seducteur (8850), Pink 
24765 (47513), Olbert 42815 (53109), and Villers 13169 (1808) 
are each said to have stood about 17 hands and weighed 2100 
pounds; Calypso 25017 (44577) stood i6| hands and weighed 
1900 pounds; Etudiant 70802 (59291) stood 17I hands and 
weighed 2100 pounds; and Introuvable 16875 (24146), regarded 
as a very large Percheron, stood 17I hands and weighed 2300 
pounds. Referring to weight, W. S. Corsa of Illinois, long a 
prominent breeder, makes the following comment : ^ 

A mare weighing from i 700 to i Soo pounds in ordinarily good condition, 
is the draft mare that may be expected to give a good account of herself both 
at work and in the stud. Get size in the offspring through the selection of the 
sire and through the kind, quality and quantity of feed given the colts. Fortu- 
nately, it is among these under excessive weights that we find the greatest 
number of mares of acceptable breed type — sweetly feminine sorts which usually 
have necks long enough so that one may put his arm around and love them. 

Quoting from the same source, li. B. White, a noted breeder 
of Virginia, states that the stallion should be of medium size 
and suggests that he "weigh not more than 2100 pounds in 
show condition." 

The temperament of the Percheron is of the quiet, phlegmatic 
sort, such as prevails with the horse of heavy weight, although 
somewhat more nervous and active than the Shire or Belgian. 
The disposition of horses of this breed is of the best, and as 
one sees them at work in their native country, where many 
stallions of the breed are found in harness, they are all the most 
exacting could desire in this regard. 

The maturing quality of the Percheron is of the first class, 
and the colts when properly nourished attain large size in a rela- 
tively short time. Many weanling colts at the fall shows weigh 
about 800 pounds and at twelve months of age should pass the 

1 A History of the Percheron Horse (191 7), p. 530. 



io8 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



looo-pound mark. At twenty-four months a stallion should weigh 
around 1500, and a mare slightly less. In feeding experiments 
conducted by Professor J. L. Edmonds on ten pure-bred Percheron 
fillies at the Illinois Station, foaled in 19 14 and fed two winters and 
one summer, the average weight at twelve months of age was 1 1 1 2 
pounds, and at twenty-four months 1 548 pounds. The "growthiest" 
filly of the lot weighed 1260 pounds at twelve months and 1775 

pounds at twenty-four 
months. 

Crossbred or grade 
Percherons are very 
common in America. 
The pure-bred stallions 
mated to the larger 
type of grade mares, 
of drafty conformation, 
furnish a large per cent 
of our best draft teams. 
On the Western range, 
notably in Wyoming, 
Montana, Utah, Colo- 
rado, and the Dakotas, 
by the use of Percheron 
stallions for two or 
three generations the 
horse stock has been 
greatly increased in 
size and usefulness, many of the grades weighing from 1400 to 
1500 pounds at maturity. Through the Middle Western states 
are to be seen many high-grade mares which in breed character 
and conformation are apparently pure-breds. 

Prepotent Percheron stallions mated to mares of other draft 
breeds also usually give satisfactory results, and this is a favorite 
combination in some localities where legs with feather hairs are 
found on mares of Clyde or Shire ancestry. The resulting off- 
spring are usually smooth-legged and more easily satisfy the com- 
mon market demands. The most prominent buyers in the Chicago 
horse market have testified in the highest terms to the demand 




Fig. 3S. La Belle 34982, an aged Percheron mare, 
champion American-bred mare in 191 1 at the Inter- 
national Live-Stock Exposition. A famous dam. 
Owner, E. B. White, Leesburg, Virginia. From 
photograph by the author 



THE PERCHERON 



109 



for Percheron grades and crosses, and grade geldings of show-ring 
form have repeatedly sold for $500 per head and over. 

The prolificacy of the Percheron as a breed may be regarded 
as about average. Under good conditions of care and keep Per- 
cheron mares should prove as fecund and give as good results 
in production as with other heavy breeds. There are, however, 
many cases on record of mares that have proved unusually pro- 
lific and profitable. The following mares are worthy of note, as 




Fig. 39. Delia 65193, an unc<imm(inl\' tun l\n heron brood mare at nineteen 

years of age. Fourth-prize mare ten years old or over in large-class Eastern 

Percheron Breeders' Show, 1918. Owned by M. E. Lyons, Delaware, Ohio. 

From photograph by the author 



having played important parts in building up some of the best 
American studs. Fany 20458, owned by L. W, Orr of Minne- 
sota, proved in foal every year between 1901 and 19 16 inclusive 
and raised 12 colts, 7 of which sold for ^5000. Among the noted 
brood mares of Mark W. Dunham were Constance 1478 (1425), 
having 9 colts in twelve years; Linda 2571 {1521), producing 10 
colts in fourteen years; and Janecia 2768 (1368), dropping 7 foals 
in ten years. Most of these foals were very superior and brought 
high prices. In the ownership of the Stetsons of Illinois, Flora 
1 1 19 raised 15 colts in eighteen years, and Zoe 1142 in about 
the same time dropped 10 colts. The mare Delia 65193, bred by 



no THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

John Lyons in Delaware County, Ohio, has produced 9 living 
foals that have sold for $5220. The De Lanceys of Minnesota 
owned 2 great brood mares — Mollie 19915, having 10 foals in 
twelve years, and Charmante 1093 1 (20451), having 9 in eleven 
years. The mare Aimie 520 is credited with 14 foals in seven- 
teen years, and of these, 2 daughters, Olga 21851 and Prudance 
21853, dropped within nine years 7 and 8 foals respectively. 

Famous Percheron sires. Naturally during the history of the 
breed there have been many sires of excellence in America, 
Among these the following stallions in service prior to 1900 
may be regarded as of special importance, mainly on account of 
their influence as breeders, although some of them were famous 
show horses. Louis Napoleon 2S1 : foaled, 1848 ; imported, 185 i. 
Normandy J^l (also known as Pleasant Valley Bill) : foaled, 
1849; imported, 185 1. S?iccess 4^2 : foaled, 1864; imported, 
1868. Vidocq ^Sj {732): foaled, 1869; imported, 1874; sire, 
Coco II (714); dam, by Cheri. Brilliant 1271 {JSS) '■ foaled, 
1876; imported, 1881 ; sire, Brilliant 1899 (756) ; dam. Ragout, 
by Favori I (711). Fenelon 2682 {j8) : foaled, 1880; imported, 
1883 ; sire. Brilliant 1271 ; dam, Ernestine, by Duke of Perche 
173 (740). Gilbert 51^4 {4^^)'- foaled, 1882; imported, 1886; 
sire. Brilliant 1271 (755); dam, Sophie (7694). Sednetcur SS^O 
{7057) '■ foaled, 1884 ; imported, 1888 ; sire, Fenelon 2682 (38) ; 
dam, Rosalie (5688), by Brilliant 1899 (756). Brilliant jd 
II 116 {2gig): foaled, 1884; imported, 1889; sire, Fenelon 
2682 (38). Of the above horses Louis Napoleon and Brilliant 
were probably the most famous, each proving remarkable 
breeders, although all of the horses in question stand out as 
noted sires. 

In a study of the show records of recent years in both France 
and America, as reported by Sanders and Dinsmore,^ the follow- 
ing interesting facts are brought out. Between 1901 and 1910 
at the shows of the Percheron Society of France, Brilliant 3d (2919) 
appeared as grandsire of 123 prize winners; Besigue (19602) 
of 92 ; Villers (8081) of 87 ; P^nelon (38) of 71 ; Voltaire (443) 
of 61 ; Jules (37987) of 50; Marathon (10386) of 38; Briard 
(1630) of 30; Jupiter 4th (13001) of 19; and Lavater (14574) 

^ A History of the Percheron Horse, 191 7. 



THE PERCHERON 



III 



of 1 8, these being the ten leading grandsires among ninety, in 
the order given. In a study of the records of winners at the 
International Live-Stock Exposition between 1900 and 19 10, 
the following stallions were shown to be of premier importance 
as sires or grandsires or great-grandsires : As sires of American- 
bred prize winners, Calypso 25017 (44577) is credited with 38 
International winners ; Superior 40605 with 15; Salvanos 10827 
(20922) with 12 ; Rhum Jr. 21627 with 9; Cadmus 2162 (929) 
with 8 ; Boer 2^267 (4461 1) with 7 ; Aride 25056 (45424) with 
7, and Villers 13 169 (8081) with 6. As grandsires of Inter- 
national winners, Theudis 25015 (40871) is credited with 40; 




Fig. 40. A view of La Societe Hippique Percheronne's 1908 show grounds at 
Mortagne. From photograph by the author 

Highland Chief 23744 with 15; Fernando (34038) with 14; 
Grevin 6846 (6892) with 12; Rhum 11288 (13173) with 9; 
Victoria 24449 (42905) with 9; Brilliant 1271 (755) with 9, 
and Besigue (19602) with 8. In rank as great-grandsires, Besigue 
is first with 52 winners; Marathon (10386) with 16; Sensation 
22544 with 15; Brilliant 3d (2919) with 13; Brilliant 1271 
(755) with 13 ; La Grange 3065 (1334) with 12 ; Chicago 6947 
(7485) with 9; and Bienfaisant (1397) with 6. The following 
stallions, former International champions, have been regarded as 
leading sires in recent years : Pink 24765 (47513), Carnot 66666 
(66666), Dragon 52155 (63516), and Lagos 99093 (102389). 
The leading Percheron shows are held under different con- 
ditions. Each year in France a great central show is held at 
Paris. For years the annual Percheron show of France has been 



112 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

held in a migratory way, coming back to the same locahty every 
twelve years. The Percheron Society show is held in rotation 
once each year in the Perche district, at La Ferte, Mortagne, or 
Nogent-le-Rotrou. The American Percheron shows of most 
importance are held at the International Live-Stock Exposition, 
Chicago, the Kansas City Horse Show, and the state fairs of 
Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. 

Percheron futurity shows have attracted considerable attention 
in recent years, especially in Ohio and Iowa. The first show of 
the kind in Ohio was held in 19 12, and the competition has 
grown steadily in numbers and merit. The following are the 
important rules in the Ohio show, which is under the supervision 
of the Ohio Percheron Breeders' Association. Eligibility: AH 
colts recorded in the Percheron Society of America are eligible 
to the futurity classes in 19 19, provided the dams of said colts 
have been nominated in accordance with the conditions outlined 
below. Conditions: (i) Mare nominations must be made by 
April I, 19 1 8, if the colts from these mares are to be eligible to 
the futurity classes in 19 19. When the mares are nominated, the 
name and registry number of each mare must be given, also the name 
and registry number of the sire to which she is in foal. (2) A 
fee of one dollar ($1) must accompany the nomination of each 
mare. (3) In addition to the nominating fee on mares, there will 
be an entry fee on all colts foaled from these mares if said colts 
are to be kept eligible to the futurity classes. This entry fee will 
be seven dollars ($7) per colt, payable in two payments. The 
first payment, of two dollars, must be made by November i, 19 18. 
At this time the color and sex of colt must be given. The 
second payment, of five dollars, must be made by July 15, 1919, 
just prior to the Ohio State F'air. At this time the name and 
registry number of the colt must be given. 

The prices paid for Percherons from the point of view of aver- 
age values are higher than for any other draft breed. High 
prices have also been paid for animals of merit. Mr. Dillon of 
Illinois was the first importer to pay as much as Si 600 for a 
stallion in France, paying this price in 1882. The late M, W. 
Dunham, years ago, made one sale of three mares and a stallion 
for $10,000. In 1903 McLaughlin Brothers of Ohio sold the 



THE PERCH ERON 



113 



stallion Orangiste 29606 for $5500, and a month later sold Pour- 
Ouoi-Pas 27248 for $7000. In December, 1905, this same firm 
sold the stallion Rosenberg, grand-champion Percheron at the 
International Live-Stock Exposition, for ^8000, the highest price 
up to that time paid for a draft stallion in America. At the 1909" 
International, W. S. Corsa of Illinois purchased the champion 
Percheron stallion of the show, Carnot 66666, from Crouch and Son 
of Indiana for $10,000, and in 19 16 Mr. Corsa sold a half interest 
in this horse, at ten years of age, to R. G. Leeds of Indiana for 




Fig. 41. Judging the horses at the 1908 show of La Societe Hippique 
Percheronne. From photograph by the author 



$20,000. Helix 70340 (75752), champion stallion in 191 1 at the 
International, shown by Taylor and Jones, was sold to \V. C. Brown 
of New York for $10,000. In 191 2 Crouch and Son exhibited 
at the International the stallion Imprecation 79304 (79214), 
champion that year as well as in 191 1, which they sold for 
$10,500 during the show. 

Percheron geldings are great favorites in the horse market, and 
many very high-class ones are sold. At the 1905 International 
Exposition the six-horse teams of geldings exhibited by Armour 
and Company and the Pabst Brewing Company caused universal 
admiration. George, owned by Pabst, the first-prize gelding of the 
1904 exposition, weighed when shown 2140 pounds. In 1905 
the Pabst Brewing Company purchased a pair of geldings on the 



114 'i'HE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

Chicago horse market, paying $1300 for them, the highest price 
paid for such a team uj) to that time. In the spring of 19 10 
Crouch and Son of Indiana bought a pair of Percheron geldings 
at auction in Missouri for $2025, the record price up to the 
present time for a team of the kind. 

The distribution of the Percheron horse is very widespread. 
Large numbers have been exported from the Perche to the United 
States, and in recent years, prior to 1914, a Hmited number of 
these horses were being shipped into Germany, Austria- Hungary, 
Russia, and Argentina. Since 1914 quite a number of Percherons 
have been shipped to England, where they have stirred up warm 
controversy, but seem destined to grow in favor. In Canada, 
especially in the Northwest, this breed is getting a strong foothold ; 
in fact, George Lane's stud on the Bar U Ranch in Alberta is 
said to be the largest group of Percherons in the world, number- 
ing over four hundred head. During nineteen months, ending 
October 31, 19 18, more than one thousand Percherons were 
exported from the United States to Canada. 

The distribution of Percherons in the United States is of a 
national character. Weld estimated that in 1866 there were 
fully 5000 Percherons in this country, but no doubt many of 
these were French drafts of other breeds. Between 185 1 and 
1883 nearly 4000 Percherons of which a more or less correct 
record is kept were imported or bred in the L^nited States. 
These were widely distributed, Illinois having 1834; Ohio, 
Indiana, and Michigan, 577 ; Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota, 
424 ; New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, 280 ; and Mis- 
souri, Kansas, and Nebraska, 186. In the early eighties many 
were brought over, 2600 being reported as imported or home- 
bred in 1 88 1, 1882, and 1883. In 1884 more than 2000 of all 
ages were brought to America from France. In 1890 it is said 
that there were 593 breeders in this country, and in 1900 this 
number had increased to 1634, while figures in 1910 are placed at 
5338. Between 1901 and 19 10 some 31,900 American-bred and 
10,048 imported Percherons were registered. During the fiscal 
year ending October 31, 19 17, the Percheron Society of America 
registered 10,508 horses and transferred 9634 during the next 
fiscal year. Illinois, which has occupied front rank in Percheron 



THE PERCHERON 



115 



breeding since the beginning, stood first in registrations, with 
2386 head, or 22.7 per cent of the total. Iowa, which from the 
earhest days has followed closely after Illinois, ranked second 
with 21 10 registrations, or 20.07 V^^ cent of the total. Ohio, 
the state to which Percherons were early imported, was third 
with 864 registrations, or 8.22 per cent of the total. Kansas, the 
leading Percheron breeding center west of the Missouri River, 
stood fourth, with 759 head recorded during the year, 7.22 per 




Fig. 42. Percheron mares and foals in stud of the late M. W. Dunham, Oaklawn, 
Wayne, Illinois. From photograph taken in 1893 by the author 



cent of the total. Nebraska came fifth, with 523 head, or 4.97 
per cent; Minnesota sixth, with 447, or 4.25 per cent; Indiana 
seventh, with 440, or 4.18 per cent; and South Dakota eighth, 
with 392, or 3.73 per cent. These eight states represented about 
75 per cent of all the horses registered in thirty-six states. The 
two leading state centers in America are Tazewell County, Illinois, 
and Delaware County, Ohio. 

Organizations for promoting Percheron horses exist in France 
and the United States, The F'rench Percheron Society, known 
as La Societe Hippique Percheronne, was organized in 1883 and 
has always had its headquarters at Nogent-le-Rotrou. It was 



Il6 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

organized to promote the purity of the breed, to register horses 
within the Perche only, and to pubhsh a studbook from time to 
time. In 1890 the society passed a rule that all colts must be 
entered for registry between the ages of three and six months. 
At the time of registration a veterinarian appointed by the society 
is required to brand its official mark on the colt's neck, and this 
should always be found on imported Percheron horses registered 
by the P^rench society. Volume I of the P^ench studbook first 
appeared in 1883, and at intervals since that time volumes have 
been published in two parts, one each for stallions and mares. 



Fig. 43. Percheron futurity winners at the Ohio State Fair, 19 17. These are year- 
ling horse colts. From photograph by the Columbus Photograph Service Company. 
By courtesy of Professor D. J. Kays 

American Percheron horse associations date back to 1876. At 
this time, owing to the common usage of the word '" Norman," it 
was planned to organize the Norman Horse Association. P'rench 
horses, known as Normans, had been used in the West some 
years, for as far back as 1854 Dillon and Company of Normal, Illi- 
nois, showed what they termed Normans. The word " Percheron " 
was also in use. J. H. Sanders had been made secretary of the 
new association, and he added the word " Percheron " to the title, so 
that it read Percheron-Norman Horse Association, and his action 
was approved. This was followed by some members withdrawing 
and organizing the National Register of Norman Horses, which 
was later changed to the National Register of French Draft 
Horses. With the organization in P'rance of a Percheron society 



THE PERCHERON 1 17 

the word " Norman " was dropped from the American title, in order 
to correspond with that of the French association. The career 
of the American Percheron Horse Breeders' Association proved 
rather unsatisfactory to many of its members, due to too much 
one-man power vested in its secretary. This resulted in the organ- 
ization, in 1902, of the American Percheron Horse Breeders' 
and Importers' Association, with headquarters later established at 
Chicago, Illinois. In 1905 the name of this was changed to the 
Percheron Society of America. There was also organized in 1902, 
at Columbus, Ohio, the Percheron Registry Company. More 
recently — in October, 1905 — another association, known as the 
American Breeders' and Importers' Percheron Registry, was in- 
corporated, with headquarters in Ohio. Each of these associations 
was organized to promote the breed in America, to register animals, 
and to publish studbooks. In 1909 the Percheron Registry Com- 
pany combined- with the Percheron Society of America, and all 
animals registered in the four volumes of records of the former 
were made subject to re-registration in the records of the latter. 
Within very recent years harmony has come within Percheron 
circles, and the Percheron Society of America is the one recog- 
nized official organization in this country. A number of studbooks 
have been published. The old Percheron-Norman Horse Associa- 
tion published two volumes, the first appearing in 1877. Later, 
with the change of name to Percheron Horse Association of 
America, three more volumes were issued under the name of the 
" Percheron Studbook of America." In 1906 this society published 
Volume VI, since which time the volumes have been brought down 
to XIX in 19 1 8, including 134,000 registrations to this date. 



CHAPTER XIV 

THE FRENCH DRAFT 

A brief consideration of the French Draft horse is essential, 
although no recognized breed of this name exists. In America 
it has been customary for many years to refer to draft horses 
brought from France as French Draft horses. Not only this but 
we now have in the United States an organization which registers 
draft horses from F'rance in a French Draft studbook. 

Distinct breeds of French Draft horses, however, are well 
known and in France are clearly recognized. Years ago there 
was some confusion among importers on this point, but at the 
present time we have more definite knowledge on the subject. 
All heavy horses in France are not of the same breed, even if 
brought to America as French Draft. It is iquite customary to 
name certain European breeds after the localities in which they 
received their chief development, and this applies to the horses 
of France. It is extremely doubtful if any draft horses come to 
this country from France that cannot be properly listed as belong- 
ing to one of the following breeds, which essentially represent the 
characteristic draft breeds of that country. 

1. PercJiei'on. This is the best-known and most highly devel- 
oped of the French Draft breeds. For an extended consideration 
of the breed see Chapter XIII. 

2. Boulonnais. This breed is largely found in the district of 
Boulogne in northern France and in adjoining Belgium, deriving 
its name from the former. The breed is somewhat larger and 
coarser than the Percheron, is coarser of neck, steeper and squarer 
of croup, and while not deficient in action shows less than the 
Percheron. The color is variable, though frequently gray or white. 
It is claimed by the P>ench that there is no interchange between 
the horses of Boulogne and the Perche, and that the Boulonnais 
has mainly been improved by selection and care, though it is sug- 
gested that some improvement may have come from Percheron 

ii8 



THE FRENCH DRAFT 119 

blood. The Boulonnais has an excellent reputation in France, 
where a studbook kept" in its interest is widely used, and it is 
regarded as second only in importance to the Percheron. Prom- 
inent importers have stated that Boulonnais horses have not been 
extensively brought to America, although no doubt they are well 
represented in the United States under the names of "Norman" or 
"French Draft." 

3. Bj-eton. This breed belongs to Brittany, in extreme western 
France, in a section opposite southwest England, from which it 
is separated by the English Channel. This is quite a prominent 
horse section, but in its past history rather miscellaneous breed- 
ing has been resorted to, English, Arabian, and crossbred stal- 
lions have been used, and more recently Percheron, Richardson, 
in discussing these horses many years ago, says : 

Though larger than the horses of the center, those in the north only run 
from 14 hands to 15.1, having improved up to the latter point, which the best 
horses now commonly reach. They are of much the same character as the 
Percheron ; indeed, there has been a continual interchange between the two 
districts, and the color is chiefly the same — gray ; but the Breton horse has 
a heavier head, more hair about the heels, broader feet, a heavier frame, he is 
shorter below the knee, and the pasterns are shorter, in fact, he shows less blood. 

In the past large numbers of weaned foals have been sold to go 
out of Brittany. " Nor," says Richardson, " are they known again 
as Breton horses. The grays become Percherons and the bays 
Normans." 

Leading Percheron importers in the past claimed that none 
of the Bretons were brought to America, but that they were 
largely used for omnibus horses in Paris. 

4. Nivernais. This breed is mainly found in the department 
of Nievre, in central France. It is a somewhat modern, black 
breed, largely the result of using black Percheron stallions on the 
mares of the region, which are hardly as large as Percherons. 
This breed has not been imported to any important degree, as it 
does not exist in large numbers in its native home, this region 
being more celebrated for its cattle. 

5. Ardennais. This is a native of Ardennes on the Belgian 
frontier in northern France. It has been described as a small type 
of Belgian and is probably not much imported. 



I20 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

6. Picardy. French authorities rather class this as the Flem- 
ish horse, very large and generally bay in color. It is bred in 
northern France and Belgium and is in fact the Belgian breed, 
though M. La Motte Rouge, who was for many years employed 
in the government studs of France, claims that the Picardy is in 
fact a variety of Boulonnais. 

Of the breeds given above the first three are the only ones of 
importance as possibly affecting American trade. 

The National French Draft Horse Association of America pub- 
lishes a studbook in which may be registered any of the above- 
named draft horses, irrespective of breed. This association was 
first organized in 1876 as the National Norman Horse Association, 
but in 1885 its title was changed to the National French Draft 
Horse Association. This was entirely correct, as there is no such 
breed of horses in France as Norman, notwithstanding the current 
use of this word in America for over half a century. Up to 19 14 
this association has published nearly twenty studbooks. 



CHAPTER XV 

THE BELGIAN 

The native home of the Belgian horse is in western Europe, in 
Belgium, which Hes within latitudes 49;V°-52° N., with its west 
border bathed by the North Sea. It is a small country of but 
11,373 square miles, being but slightly more than one fourth the 
size of Ohio. In 19 14 Belgium had about seven million popula- 
tion, with more persons to the square mile than any other European 
state. The country is level and low near the sea, undulating in the 
center, while the eastern part is hilly or mountainous. There are 
nine provinces. The soil is naturally fertile in much of Belgium, 
and agriculture is conducted on an intensive scale. The small 
grains, potatoes, market gardening, and nursery stock are impor- 
tant crops. Horses and cattle are the predominating farm animals, 
while dogs are universally used in labor both in town and country. 

Horse production in Belgium extends back to remote times. 
Remains of the horse have been found in the cave dwellings of 
the Lesse and Meuse, showing the relationship of man to this valu- 
able animal in that country in prehistoric times. Since the days of 
historical record the horse of Belgium has been famous. Diodorus 
Siculus, a Greek historical writer of the first century b.c, mentions 
that the Belgians were great judges of horses, and Caesar states that 
they were willing to pay high prices for a superior class of foreign 
horses. Tacitus, the historian and well-known writer of the first 
century a. d., commented on the extensive buying of horses from 
Belgium and the inability of the people to furnish as many as were 
desired. It has even been assumed that perhaps the greater part 
of the Roman cavalry consisted of Belgian horses. 

Two breeds of horses of ancient origin in Belgium are said to 
be the progenitors of the present-day stock. In the first volume of 
the " National Studbook of Belgian Breeders " the secretary states 
that two pure races of horses come up from early times in Belgium. 
One is the Ardenne, which originated in the valley of the Meuse 

^ 121 



122 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



in the eastern part of the kingdom, and the other the Frisonne, 
which developed on the western coast. A variation from the 
latter race was a large horse known as the Flemish. These two 
races crossed more or less, from which developed the Braban^on 
horse, or what is now commonly known as the Belgian. While 
what we know in America as the Belgian is bred in most of the 
nine provinces, the breed in its best estate is found in Brabant, 




Fig. 44. A farm scene in Belgium near Rorsbeke, illustrating the intensive 
cultivation practiced in that country. From photograph by the author 

in central Belgium near Brussels, in Hainaut south centrally 
located, and in Namur and Liege in the eastern section. About 
19 10 some fifty thousand horses were reported in Brabant alone. 
The methods employed by the Belgian government to encourage 
horse breeding, up to the opening of the World War, are of special 
interest. These methods no doubt will be somewhat changed, 
now that the war is over, but they are presented by the author 
with the assumption that they are once more in operation as at 
the opening of hostilities. Certain state regulations concerning 
the breeding of draft horses are subject to constant supcrvisiono 



THE BELGIAN 



123 



The sum of about 350,000 francs (370,000) is annually expended 
in behalf of this work. This money is used to meet the ex- 
pense of shows of foals and mares, which are fixed by provincial 
regulations and which occur in some forty-four different places. 
Stallions are also submitted for examination at this time. At each 
of these shows two classes of prizes are awarded : ( i ) a first prize 
of 400 francs ($80) and a second of 300 francs for the first- and 
second-prize three-year-old stal- 
lions ; (2) a first prize of 550 
francs ($110) and a second of 
400 francs for the first- and 
second-prize four-year-old or 
older stallions. Other smaller, 
extra prizes may be awarded 
on stallions of rank subordi- 
nate to the first and second. 
To promote home horse im- 
provement the examining 
committee may award a main- 
tenance bounty of 700 francs 
to the owner of each stallion 
not under four years old that 
has won a first prize at a pre- 
vious annual show. A similar 
prize of 500 francs is awarded 
the owner of the stallion which 
has won for two years the 
second place in the class of 
stallions four years old or over. 
If the committee regards as of 

exceptional value a stallion that has won a maintenance prize, it 
may nominate him to compete for a bounty of 6000 francs (^1200) 
payable annually by fifths, so long as the horse remains approved 
by the committee and retains its value. At the end of five years 
the owner of such a stallion, if it remains approved, may continue 
to enjoy an annual maintenance of from 600 to 800 francs. In 
case a stallion that has received the 6000 francs' bounty is sold 
to leave Belgium, the fifths already received by the owner must be 




Fig. 45. A Belgian stallion of quality. 

From photograph by courtesy of M. A. 

Van Schelle, Belgian commissioner to 

the Louisiana Purchase Exposition 



124 'I'HE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

returned to the treasury of the state. There is an annual compe- 
tition in each province for staUions four years old or over that 
have won the above special prizes, at which they may compete 
for a first prize of 900 francs and a second of 700 francs. 

The examination of stallions usually occurs the sixth year, with 
a show of foals and fillies of two and three years and brood 
mares, when considerable prize money is awarded. Maintenance 
bounties may also be awarded owners of the best mares in order 
to retain them in Belgium. 

M. Andre Duchateau, a noted breeder of Belgium, gives an 
interesting account of the official supervision of breeding stock. ^ 

In every province of Belgium at this period (November and December) 
there is an expert committee sent to all the farms for the purpose of examining 
the colts destined for public stallion service and also to inspect the older stal- 
lions, as the certificate for service must be renewed each year. This is obliga- 
tory in Belgium, even for stallions not kept at public stud, if the animals belong 
to two or more persons collectively. Stallion service books are delivered to all 
proprietors of approved sires, and each time a mare is served the groom must 
enter in this book the description of the mare, date of service and the name 
and address of the mare owner. A duplicate stating these facts is given to the 
latter at the same time. Subsequent services to the same mare are entered on 
the same sheet. These stallion books must be forwarded to the provincial 
commissions of agriculture each year before the first of September. Anyone 
winning prizes with a stallion at a show is obliged to stand him at public 
service. A stallion groom is forbidden to allow his horse to serve any mare 
with congenital deformities, or one suffering from a contagious disease. Neither 
must the stallion be allowed to serve fillies less than three years old. 

Stud fees in Belgium vary from $5 to $100, according to the 
origin and quality of the sire. Just prior to the World War high- 
priced sires were in great demand. The very noted horse Indigene 
du Fosteau, even at eleven years of age, says M, Duchateau, was 
in use the entire season for the maximum fee of $100. Two of 
his sons, Moustic de Grandglise and Braban^onne, were given all 
the marcs they could cover at $60. The older and better-known 
sires naturally command higher figures than the younger and less 
tried ones. The stud season lasts from January to July. 

The introduction of Belgian horses to America first occurred in 
1866, when Dr. A. G. van Hoorebeke of Monmouth, Illinois, 

^ How the Belgian Drafters have been Bred, Breeders^ Gazette, December iS, 191 2. 



THE BELGIAN 



125 



imported some draft horses from Belgium. These were known at 
the time as Boulonnais. Tlie incorrect use of this word, however, 
was recognized after a few years, when the correct title, " Belgian," 
was given. Massion and Son of Minonk, Illinois, were also early 
importers. In 1858 E. Lefebure came to America from Belgium 
and settled in Iowa, and from 1888 until 1905 he was an active 
promoter and introducer of the breed. H. Wolff of Wabash, 
Indiana, was a pioneer promoter of the Belgian in that state. 




Fig. 46. Farceur 7332 (72924), champion at Brussels and at the International Live- 
stock Exposition. A great show horse and sire. Sold for $46,500 to C. G. Good, 
Ogden, Iowa. From photograph by courtesy of Mr. Good 



Characteristics of the Belgian draft horse. The general con- 
formation is of the most compact form, this breed having a 
maximum of weight within a given space. The Jicad shows con- 
siderable refinement and is carried with animation on a short, 
stout neck. The head, neck, and croup rather suggest the French 
breeds in style and carriage. The body is very full in the breast 
and strong and full in the loins, with an unusual depth of middle. 
The legs of the Belgian are short and tend to refinement of 
bone and are devoid of long hair. Compared with a Clydesdale, 
the Belgian is much deeper of rib and shorter of leg, but not the 
equal of the Clyde in feet, hocks, and bone. T\iQfcet tend to be 



126 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

somewhat small for the weight they support, and they have been 
criticized in the past for lack of fullness at the crown and as 
being rather high and narrow at the heel. In action the Belgian 
is somewhat slow, especially at a walk, though some remarkable 
actors have been exhibited at the shows. In 1909 A, H. Thompson 
attended the Brussels show, after which he contributed a report 
on the show to the Breeders Gazette} Commenting on the 
characteristics of the Belgian, he writes : 

There is a great improvement in the breed since I first knew them from 
the importation into Ohio in the sixties. Their necks are longer, the ears set 
higher on the head, the eyes larger ; they are not so thick in the throat-latch, 
and finer in the jaw and muzzle. They are doing away with the dip in the 
back, and have lengthened out and rounded their quarters, which has set up 
their tails where they ought to be. They still could do with a little more bone 
and length of pastern. They have excellent traits for a draft horse, and kind 
temper, easily kept, not taking a great deal of grain to fill up their short, deep 
bodies. They have their faults, which will in time be corrected. Many of 
them turn their toes in and paddle badly at the walk and trot. 

He also calls attention to the fact that as a rule these horses are 
very sound and that at the show not a single horse was turned 
down by the veterinary surgeons during the entire week. 

M. Duchateau states in the Breeders' Gazette^ relative to con- 
formation, that the two main qualities sought in the Belgian are 
wealth of muscular development and a correct setting of feet 
and legs. While strong, dense bone is required to support the 
thick, heavy muscles, they do not look for exaggeration in this 
respect, as disproportionate size of bone would militate against 
style and action. " We like to see a large, expressive eye, but 
Belgian breeders' ideals concerning the head and neck are not 
quite in concordance with American notions, notwithstanding 
the fact that we cater largely to the American trade." 

The color of the Belgian horse is variable, ranging through 
bay, chestnut, roan, "auburn," black, gray, and dun. The degree 
of popularity is expressed in the order given. On this subject 
E. Mueleman of Belgium has given a valuable contribution.^ He 
directs attention to the fact that the paintings of the early masters 

^ July 21, 1909. 2 December i8, 1912. 

^ Breeders'' Gazette, May 10, 191 1, p. 11 68. 



THE BELGIAN 12/ 

of the Flemish school of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries 
showed no prevailing color as indicative of breed. He quotes an 
early manuscript dated at the beginning of the last century rela- 
tive to the color of the Brabangon horses, as follows: "Though 
we have horses of every color we reduce them to three principal 
coats, — the black, the most common ; then comes the light and 
dark bay, and lastly the gray of several shades." Mueleman 
offers an interesting classification of Belgian colors of horses 
shown in the National show at Brussels in six different years. 
In 19 lo bay prevailed in 51.2 per cent of the entries, chestnut in 
36.8, roan in 5.3, auburn in 1.9, black in 2.7, and gray in 2.1. 
There is shown a more or less steady decline in roans, grays, and 
blacks in recent years, while dun has not been recorded since 1886. 
Nearly 90 per cent of the prize winners are included among the 
bays and chestnuts in the order given. 

The height and weight of the Belgian vary materially. M. Albert 
Van Schelle, the special commissioner from Belgium in charge 
of the exhibit of Belgian draft horses at the Louisiana Purchase 
Exposition at St. Louis in 1904, classes the horses of Belgium 
into three types according to the sections of the country to which 
they belong. Those from Flanders range in height from i6|^ to 
17 hands or more, and the stallions weigh about 2000 pounds. 
Those from Brabant stand I5| to i6| hands, and the stallions 
weigh about 1600, while those of the Ardennais stand from 15 
to 15I hands in height and weigh about 1200 pounds. 

On the basis of the development of the breed in recent years 
these figures hardly measure up to American or Belgian standards. 
Unquestionably the breed is lower set than the other draft breeds, 
but the larger type should show stallions weighing in excess of 
2000 pounds. Crouch and Son of Indiana, who have imported 
many Belgians, give the weight of the 1908 International cham- 
pion, Perce 2276, as 2510 pounds. Some very massive examples 
of the breed are to be found to-day. The Belgian colt weighs 
heavy for its age, and there are records of males scarcely six 
months old weighing 850 pounds, and one Ohio breeder reports 
a colt at seven and one-half months weighing 990 pounds. 

The temperament of the Belgian is of the very best. This is 
due no doubt to being raised in a country of small farms, in 



128 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

close contact with the everyday hfe of the people. Many of the 
horses are sheltered beneath the same roof as their owners or care- 
takers. As the author has seen these horses at work on the streets 
of the cities of Belgium and on the farms, he has been much im- 
pressed with their docility and their great and uniform draft power. 
The maturing quality of the Belgian is distinctly superior. As 
has been already said, he develops quickly and attains mature size 




Fig. 47. Babette, a typical Belgian mare. Photograph from A. Van Schelle, 
Special Commissioner of Agriculture from Belgium to the Louisiana Purchase 

Exposition, 1904 

and weight with more than ordinary rapidity. In the United States — 
in the Central West — professional feeders of horses look with 
favor on the Belgian on account of the way he develops. 

The crossbred Belgian has as yet been but little seen in the 
United States, but he has met with a favorable reception where 
produced. A few years ago a consignment of grade Belgian 
drafters, the product of pure-bred stallions on native mares, was 
sold at auction in Chicago market at excellent prices and received 



THE BELGIAN 



129 



much favorable comment. The author has seen numerous grade 
geldings shipped to Ohio feeders from the West which have pre- 
sented a most attractive individuality. Ohio shippers are looking 
with more and more favor on heavy Belgian geldings as quite 
satisfactory to the city trade. They seem to be reasonably sound 
of limb and possess the draft form and weight so much in de- 
mand for heavy hauling. In recent years grade Belgians have 
materially increased 
in number. 

Foundation Belgian 
sires trace back to 
comparatively recent 
times, when we con- 
sider the age of the 
breed. M. Leon Van 
Meldert has contrib- 
uted some interesting 
information regarding 
the foundation sires, ^ 
from which the fol- 
lowing is arranged : 

Fort on of WyjiJmize, 
known also as Le Gros 
de Wynhuize and in 
Flemish as Den dik- 
ken van Wynhuize, 

was foaled in 1835 in the stable of Charles L. Tuypens, W^ynhuize, 
East Flanders. He was a bay, sired by Francis and was out of a 
mare, Marie, that had the same sire as Francis. Forton of Wyn- 
huize lived from 1835 to 1858 and sired Forton of St. John, a bay 
foaled in 1847. In 1856 this son sired Forton of On Rersule, a 
light bay, which became the sire of London, sire of Forton 2d, 
a dark bay foaled in 1881. 

Samson, known also as Young Forton of Wynhuize, a brown 
horse, was foaled late in 1830. He was the sire of Alfred, also 
called Forton of Appelterre, a dapple gray foaled in 185 1 and 
living until 1877. Alfred sired Guzusse, later Orange ist(ii44), 

^Breeders' Gazette-, January 29, 191 4, p. 223. 




Fig. 48. Queen Ann 61 19, a Belgian mare owned 
by Ohio State University, Columbus. A fine type 
of the modern Belgian mare. Reserve champion 
in 19 1 7 at Ohio State Fair. From photograph by 
E. K. Emslie 



I30 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

a light bay. Alfred proved to be one of the most valuable 
stallions in Belgium. 

Orange /j-/(ii44), foaled in 1863 and living twenty-two years, 
was sired by Alfred. Orange sired four famous horses : Brilliant 
(708), many times champion in France, Germany, Holland, and 
Belgium ; Jupiter (126), the champion of 1889 ; Morius ; and Jean 
1st (1200). 

Brilliant (708), a chestnut, was foaled in 1868 and was sired 
by Orange ist (1144) and out of the foundation mare Blonde. 
Brilliant was of powerful draft type, w^ith superior feet and legs 
and possessing most excellent action. For many years he was in 
great favor as a sire, though hardly the equal of his own sire as 
a producer. 

Jnpitcr (126), the half brother of Brilliant, was foaled in 1880 
and was sired by Orange ist (i 144) ; dam, Julie. He was a sire of 
remarkable excellence, surpassing his own sire. His sons, in par- 
ticular, were in great demand and commanded high prices. Some 
regard Jupiter as the greatest Belgian sire in the history of the 
breed. From 1894 to 1904 all the male champions at Brussels 
but three were his sons or grandsons. These include Mont d'Or 
(6120) in 1894 and 1895, Olympian (81 14) in 1896, Reve d'Or 
(7406) in 1898 (champion at Paris in 1900 over all breeds), 
Private (8878) in 1899, Brin d'Or (7902) in 1900, Bienvenue 
(13592) in 1901, and Bourgogne (13 154) in 1902. 

Mercjtry (714), a dapple gray, foaled in 1882, was a product of 
the Chevalier stables in Hainaut. He was low set, of unusual 
action, and champion at the National show in 1887 and 1888. He 
sired about forty prize winners at Brussels between 1894 and 1901. 

Bayard (1146), a chestnut roan foaled in 1864, came from a 
family of roan Belgians originating in Brabant. The original horse 
of record was a blue roan. Old Min de la Cozette, the sire of a blue 
roan, Mestiaux de Ronquieres. A son of his, Mouton de Gony, 
sired Bayard (i 146), a horse of great individuality and draft con- 
formation. Bayard was sire of about forty prize winners between 
1886 and 1904. 

Notable recent-day Belgian horses are Indigene du Fosteau 
(29718), champion at Brussels in 1907 and 1909, a very famous 
sire ; Marquis de Ruyen (24878), champion of 1904 ; Gambrinus 



THE BELGIAN 131 

du Fosteau (29718), champion of 1905 ; Bienfait de Masnuy 
(44718), champion of 1910; Paul (46036), champion of 191 1 ; 
and Farceur (20730). 

Prices paid for Belgian horses have only reached high levels 
in recent years. In 1889 Jupiter (126) was purchased for $1200, 
the top price for a Belgian up to that time. In 1900 the stallion 
Citoyen was bought by a company in Limburg for ^3300. In 

1903 Beau Lys was bought by Liege breeders for $4500. In 

1904 another group of breeders purchased the stallion Nickel for 
$5400. The above sales all took place in Belgium. In 1909, at a 
sale of Souers and Son of Indiana, twenty-nine Belgians brought 
$15,885, an average of $548 each. The most notable sale of the 
breed took place on October 16, 191 7, at Hudson, Iowa, at the 
sale of William Crownover. The stallion Farceur 7332 (72924), 
by Bayard de Ruyen (32678), was sold to C. G. Good of Iowa 
for $47,500. The get of Farceur averaged $1475. Thirty-five 
mares brought $39,425, an average of ;^II27. Eighteen stallions, 
including Farceur, averaged $3297. A weanling stallion by Far- 
ceur brought $1875. The highest price for a mare by Farceur was 
$2900. At Huntertown, Indiana, on F'ebruary 15, 19 19, Daron, 
a stallion foaled in I'gii, sold for $10,500 to William Bleke. 

The distribution of Belgian draft horses is very widespread. 
Germany has been a prominent buyer, while England, Holland, 
Sweden, France, Denmark, Austria, and the United States have 
buyers in the Belgian market. In 1903 more than 300 were shipped 
to the United States. At the 1904 Brussels show an official repre- 
sentative of the Hungarian government purchased 10 stallions, in- 
cluding 6 first-prize winners. In the United States the Belgian 
has been longest known in Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. Stallions 
and grades are, however, becoming distributed over the Mississippi 
Valley states north of the Ohio, wherever the heavy draft horse is 
needed, and the breed is steadily gaining in favor. 

Organizations for promoting Belgian horses exist in Belgium 
and the United States. The official draft-horse society of Bel- 
gium {Le cheval de trait Beige) was founded in 1886. The draft 
horse is the only breed in Belgium officially promoted by the 
government, and this society was organized (i) to encourage the 
breeding of native horses by the organization of annual National 



132 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



shows and (2) to maintain a studbook of Belgian draft horses. 
The studbook is pubUshed by a special commission appointed by 
the society. To promote the work of this society the government 
makes an annual grant of 30,000 francs (^5000). Besides this, 
since 1890 national premiums have been offered for the best 
stallions. This society has some iioo members. The American 
Association of Importers and Breeders of Belgian Draft Horses 




Fig. 49. A quartet of Belgian mares in their native home. From photograph 
by M. A. Van Schelle, Belgian commissioner to the Louisiana Purchase 

Exposition, 1904 

was organized in 1877 and works in harmony with the Belgian 
society. Up to 19 18 it had published six studbooks, including 
a large number of registrations comparatively recently. 

Draft-horse shows in Belgium are held each year at Brussels 
in June. These are notable events, for here is the largest show 
of one breed that is held in Europe. In 191 2 at this show there 
were nearly one thousand entries. While the exhibits come from 
all over Belgium, the most important ones in recent years have 
come from Brabant and Hainaut and the provinces of Liege and 
Namur. This has been regarded as one of the most remarkable 
horse shows held in the world. Numerous agricultural associations 
also hold exhibitions in Belgium, at which local horses are shown. 



THE BELGIAN 133 

Exhibitions of Belgians in the United States are comparatively 
recent. Small exhibits have attracted attention at the Chicago 
horse show and at some of the Central West fairs during the 
past twenty years, but it is only very lately that general interest 
has been taken in the breed. A small show of Belgians was 
made at the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 at Chicago 
by A. B. Holbert, Van Volsen Brothers and Vanderschuerm, 
Lefebure and Sons of Iowa, and J. Crouch and Son of Indiana. 
During recent years interest in the breed has greatly grown, and 
at the International Live-Stock Exposition at Chicago in 19 17 
there were entered thirty-four aged stallions, while a large and 
creditable show of various classes was made. 

The influence of the World War on the horse in Belgium was 
most damaging, for the German invaders essentially destroyed 
the horse industry of the country. However, horses were saved 
early in the war by taking a limited number to Holland and 
England, where they were given protection and care, awaiting 
the day of peace. With the return of peace, Belgian breeders, 
with the help of their friends, will be able to reestablish their 
studs. In 19 1 8 a commission from Belgium spent some time 
visiting American studs with the view of looking to this country 
for much-needed pure-bred stock. 



CHAPTER XVI 

THE CLYDESDALE 

The native home of the Clydesdale horse is in western Scot- 
land, in the southern section, in a region contiguous to Glasgow 
in the valley of the Clyde. Early historical evidence points to 
the county of Lanark as the location where the breed first re- 
ceived recognition. The adjoining counties of Ayr and Renfrew 
also were more or less the centers of early Clydesdale breeding. 
This region lies between latitudes 5 5°-56° N., fully one thousand 
miles north of New York City ; the climate is raw and cold in 
winter and never especially warm in the milder seasons. The 
land about the Clyde valley is hilly, but yields great crops of the 
small cereals, roots, hay, and potatoes. 

The early history of the Clydesdale is veiled in more or less 
obscurity. Scotch writers on the horse state that in the seven- 
teenth and early part of the eighteenth century there was doubt- 
less an interchange of draft-horse blood between Scotland and 
England. Scotch cattle dealers driving herds into England re- 
turned north with English mares, which were bred to stallions in 
the northland. This was prior to the use of the word " Clydesdale." 
Claims have been made that the Duke of Hamilton brought black 
stallions from Flanders in Belgium to Scotland about the middle 
of the seventeenth century and bred them to the nativ'e Scotch 
mares. This, however, is traditional. L^ndoubtedly very mixed 
blood was in the early breeding. 

The origin of the modern Clydesdale seems to trace back to 
about 171 5 or 1720. John Paterson was a tenant farmer of Loch- 
lyoch in Carmichael parish in the county of Lanark. This county 
is in southern Scotland, and through its center flows the river Clyde, 
from which the name " Clydesdale " is derived. Written testimony 
of the family shows that at about the above period Paterson 
brought a black Flemish stallion from England to Lochlyoch, 
which was bred to the mares in the region thereabouts. The 

134 



THE CLYDESDALE 



135 



result of this union created a superior strain of draft horses for 
that time, and they met with special favor during the latter part 
of the eighteenth and the early part of the nineteenth century. 
Breeders valued the influence of the Lochlyoch blood, and this 
is now regarded as essentially Clydesdale foundation stock. The 
mares descended from this Flemish stallion are described as 
generally browns and blacks, with white faces and a little white 
on their legs ; they had gray hairs in their tails, along with 
occasional gray hairs 
over their bodies, and 
invariably a white spot 
on the belly, this latter 
being regarded as a 
mark of distinct purity 
of blood." The Earl 
of Dunmore, the first 
president of the 
Clydesdale Horse So- 
ciety of Great Britain, 
stated in 1878 i that 
" the Lochlyoch stock 
having been long 
noted in the Upper 
Ward (Lanarkshire) 
and largely drawn up- 
on by breeders, there is no doubt that to them, or, more 
correctly, to the black horse of 1715, the Clydesdale horse owes 
its present distinctive character." 

The use of English blood on the Clydesdale, following the days 
of Paterson up to comparatively recent times, is admitted by 
Professor Wallace, a leading Scotch authority. Tintock, a Shire 
stallion, along about i860 was used in Scotland on Clydesdale 
mares, producing very excellent breeding females. The grandams 
of the Prince of Wales were both Shires of English blood. In 
1842 Professor Low commented on the distribution of the breed 
and stated that they " have been mixed in blood with all the 
other varieties." As recent as 19 19 more breeding of this kind 

1 The Clydesdale Studbook. London, 1878. 




Fig. 50. ISaicin's I'lide (9122), one of the greatest 
recent Clydesdale sires in Scotland. From photo- 
graph by A. Brown & Company, Lanark, Scotland 



136 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

is reported from Scotland, William Dunlop, the famous Clydes- 
dale breeder at Dunure Mains, visited England and purchased a 
Shire stallion and a filly, and, as reported in a British journal, 
"it is his intention to mate them with some of his noted Clydes- 
dales, Mr. Dunlop is strongly of the opinion that the Clydesdale 
breed can be improved through Shire crossing," It must be 
assumed, however, that only pure-bred Clydesdales will be regis- 
tered in the studbook ; otherwise present standards would suffer. 




Fig. 51. Baron of Buchlyvie (11263), the most advertised Clydesdale horse in 

history, a leading sire, and sold for $47,500. From photograph by A. Brown 

& Company, Lanark, Scotland 

Clydesdale characteristics. This breed of draft horses possesses 
certain features of a distinctive kind on which loyal Scotchmen 
lay great emphasis. The feet and bone and action are cardinal 
points with Clydesdale breeders. The feet must be large, round, 
and open, with an elastic frog and well-spread, clearly expressed 
heel ; the coronet wide ; the pasterns fairly long and rather slop- 
ing ; the cannons short, flat, hard, and cordy ; and the forearms, 
arms, thighs, and quarters notably muscled and strong. The ten- 
dency with the Clydesdale is to show some lightness of forearm 
and thigh. From the back side of the leg at the cannons should 
grow an abundance of long, fine hair, a striking feature in the 
best specimens of Clydesdales and indicative of quality. White 



THE CLYDESDALE 137 

feet, though common, are often objected to, on the ground that 
they lack the density and wearing power of dark feet, and there 
is a distinct objection to them in Argentina and elsewhere. 
Emphasis is laid on the fullness of the foot, the obliqueness of 
the pastern, and the flatness and cleanness of bone of lower leg. 
The body of the Clydesdale has been most subject to criticism 
in the past, lacking in depth and circumference when it should 
have fullness, as showing both feeding capacity and weight to 
draw loads. Good horse critics still insist that this deficiency of 
form is too prevalent with the breed. However, it is within the 
facts that in recent years the tendency has been to secure greater 
depth and spring of rib. An obliqueness of shoulder is empha- 
sized among Clydesdale breeders, leading into strong, high withers. 
While the chest is narrower than with other drafters, a recent Brit- 
ish opinion 1 declares that "he must have a wide chest and his 
limbs be well planted under him, with no tendency to what is 
called being wide at the shoulder, so that the horse is compelled 
to walk in front somewhat after the fashion of a bulldog." The 
slightest inclination to this in a Clydesdale is regarded as unpar- 
donable. The head of this breed does not differ in its essential 
features from what is regarded as a correct conformation. A 
writer discussing the Clydesdale in "Heavy Horses" (1894) 
notes some peculiarities of the head worth recording here : 

A tendency to " dish face " may be observed in some tribes, and this is 
generally accompanied by a small ear and what, in the main, is characterized 
as a "pony head."' Wherever this style predominates there is probably a strain 
of Highland or old Galloway in the blood. On the other hand, the hard, narrow 
face and Roman nose are regarded as equally if not more objectionable. Such 
features are usually indicative of a strain of Shire blood and, indeed, they are not 
otherwise to be accounted for in the Clydesdale. An open, level countenance, 
vigorous eye, and large ear are gready valued, and are not readily sacrificed. 

The action of the Clydesdale is notable, not being surpassed 
by any breed. Says Alexander Galbraith, an acknowledged 
American authority on this breed : 

Great attention has been paid by the Scottish breeders during the last 
twenty or thirty years to the matter of action. No other draft breed has re- 
ceived one half the attention that the Clydesdale has in this respect, and for 

^ Fari/ters^ Gazette, Dublin, October 30, 1915. 



138 TIIK HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

that reason they far surpass all others in length of stride, in straightness and 
sprightliness of movement, in their ability to keep their hocks together, with 
mechanical accuracy of motion, whether walking or trotting. 

The color of the Clydesdale is usually bay or brown, with a 
white star in the forehead or blaze or stripe on the face and with 
all or part of the legs, up to the knees and hocks, white. Black, 
gray, and chestnut occasionally occur. Gray is not popular from 
a color point of view in Scotland, though lately growing in favor, 
while chestnut is said to indicate Shire blood in the pedigree. 

The height and weight of the Clydesdale is a subject of distinct 
importance in view of more or less criticism of the breed in regard 
to lack of weight. The height of the mature stallion should be 
about \6\ to 17 hands, with the mares two inches or so lower. 
Sir Everard (5352) stood 17^ hands high; Prince of Albion 
(6178), i6| hands; and Flashwood (3604), 17 hands; and these 
represent models of the breed in Scotland. ]Veights of 2000 
pounds for the stallion and 1800 for the mare, in mature form, 
represent good standards, though somewhat above the average. 
However, horses under show conditions, to meet the most exacting 
competition, are expected to exceed the above weights. 

The first Clydesdales brought to America were probably taken 
to Canada, doubtless on account of the love of Scotch settlers 
there for their favorite breed. The following represent the earlier 
importations, the first occurring in 1842 : Gi-ay Clyde 78, importer, 
Archibald Ward, Markham, Ontario, 1842; Sovereign 181, 
importer, R. Johnson, Scarborough, Ontario, 1845 ; Cumber- 
laiid 106, importer, David Roundtree, Jr., Weston, Ontario, 
1850; Geo?ge Ihichauan 182, importer, John Wilson, Oshawa, 
Ontario, 1851; P>ay Wallace 5, importer, William Cochrane, 
Claremont, Ontario, 1854. 

Along in the seventies Clydesdales were brought to the United 
States in a small wa)', both through Canada and by direct impor- 
tation. In the early eighties they were brought over in larger 
numbers, especially in 1881, and between then and 1892 the 
trade increased greatly and several thousand stallions and marcs 
were brought across the water and distributed over the country, 
but in recent years comparatively few horses of the breed have 
been imported to the United States. 



THE CLYDESDALE 



139 



The temperament of the Clydesdale tends to be somewhat nervous. 
This is manifested in his natural activity. So far as disposition is 
concerned, the Clydesdale is the equal of the other draft breeds. 

The adaptability of the Clydesdale to environment is not first 
class. In some countries the breed has been objected to on 
account of its white feet. In hot countries it is more or less 




Fig. 52. Princess Handsome, one of the notable American-bred Clydesdale 

mares. First-prize winner at International Live Stock Exposition, Chicago, in 

1901, 1902, and 1903. Bred and owned by McLay Brothers, Janesville, Wisconsin. 

From photograph, by courtesy of owners 

criticized on account of the color, especially the white on the head. 
On the low-lying, heavy soils, such as prevail in the Mississippi 
Valley, the excess of hair on the leg has influenced its popularity 
to a marked degree. As a whole, the breed is better adapted 
to uplands than are the Shire, Percheron, or Belgian, and meets 
with more favor in the cooler rather than the warmer sections. 
The prolificacy of the Clydesdale is of the best. Naturally very 
active and muscular, the mares breed readily and, being hardy, 
tend to be long-lived. 



140 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

Half-bred, or grade, Clydesdales are not uncommon in some sec- 
tions of the country. Pure-bred stallions on native mares of draft 
character produce excellent horses for farm or city work. They 
are usually of medium draft weight, are active on foot, and are 
quiet and docile of temperament. They frequently lack weight 
for the heaviest work, which emphasizes the necessity of using 
only such stallions for sires as have plenty of middle, as well as 
quality and bone. Clydesdales and Shires in the past have been 
crossed a great deal, resulting in a more drafty sort than the 
Clyde and a better actor than the Shire. However, very few 
half-breds, or grades, find their way into the horse markets of the 
United States. 

Criticisms of the Clydesdale are not uncommon among horse- 
men. The hairy legs are objected to by farmers, who have to 
use them on dirt roads or under conditions in which mud or damp- 
ness are prevalent in the cooler months of the year. The Scotch- 
man argues that the hair protects the skin of the leg and is an 
evidence of superior bone. In spite of this assertion the average 
buyer prefers a horse with a leg free from superfluous hair. On 
a city pavement or on the hard macadamized roads of Europe 
the hair is not so objectionable. Mr. Galbraith offers the follow- 
ing comments in friendly criticism^ of the Clydesdale: 

Many present-day prize winners have, in my opinion, too short ribs and not 
enough depth of body. This kind are not always good breeders nor good 
shippers. They are apt to be somewiiat nervous, restless and too ambitious. 
A good many Clydes are undersized, and quite a number are rather too fine in 
bone, too narrow in chest, and too light in arms and thighs. The narrow 
chests are the result of an urgent demand for absolutely straight action. This 
shortness of rib, with a tendency to ranginess of body, has counted against the 
breed in the past. A short coupling and broad, deep body must be a part 
of the best draft type, to give the necessary weight for hauling heavy loads. 
However, many of the more recent show horses are distinctly deeper of rib 
and are meeting with a more favorable reception by horsemen generally. 

Important Clydesdale sires, other than the Flemish stallion of 
l^aterson, dale back to early in the nineteenth century. The first 
of distinction was Glanccr (335), alias Thompson's Black Horse. 
The Scotch studbook states that he was foaled about icSio, but 

^ " Seventy-five Years of the Clydes," The American Breeder, January 5, 191 2. 



THE CLYDESDALE 



141 



this date is questioned. The story is that Glancer was sired by 
a black stalhon named Blaze, bought in Ayrshire about 1780 
and taken to Lanark for service. He was a stallion i6l hands 
high, perhaps had some coach blood, and possessed both style 
and action. Blaze, in service to a mare known as the Lampits 
mare, on the Lampits farm in Lanark, sired Glancer. The 




Fig. 53. Harviestoun Baroness (27086), champion and Cawdor Cup Clydesdale 

mare, Cupar, Scotland, 191 2, and twice breed champion at the International Live 

Stock Exposition, Chicago. Imported by R. A. Fairbairn, New Market, New 

Jersey. From photograph by Strohmeyer, by courtesy of Mr. Fairbairn 

result of this union became more than locally famous, for from 
him " nearly all the best animals of the present day are descended," 
says the "American Clydesdale Studbook." dancer's dam, which 
died in 1827, was a famous brood mare, having produced other 
superior foals. 

Broomficld Champion (95), foaled about 1820, was a notable 
stallion and great-grandson of Glancer (335). He sired Clyde, 
ahas Glancer (153), Glancer (338), Bowman's Colt (1078), and 
a number of great brood mares. Some of his offspring were 



142 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

successful in the show ring, but his chief distinction comes from 
being the sire of Glancer (153). According to the Scotch stud- 
book (Vol. I) he was black in color, with four white legs, on 
which was set a round, capacious body with a short back. " To 
Broomfield ChamjDion," says the studbook, '" every Clydesdale 
breeder likes to trace the descent of his stock." His name is 
most frequent in early Clydesdale pedigrees. 

Clyde, alias Glancer (153), foaled about 1835, was owned by 
William Fulton of Renfrew County, a noted breeder, and was 
bred by Mr. Forest of Lanark County. Though not a show 
animal himself, from 1844 to 1850 the leading honors of Scotch 
exhibitions went to the produce of Clyde. He was dark brown 
in color, and having been ruptured was known as " The Rup- 
tured Horse." Seven sons and one daughter of his are recorded 
in the first volume of the " Scotch Clydesdale Studbook." Most of 
these sons proved later to be sires of great merit and were used 
in various localities in improving the breed. 

Prince of Wales (673), foaled in 1866, bred by James N. 
Fleming of the county of Ayr and later owned by several differ- 
ent persons, was one of the two greatest Clydesdales in recent 
history. He was sired by General (322), whose sire was Sir Walter 
Scott (797), a great show horse and sire, while his dam was 
Darling, a mare of unknown breeding beyond one generation. 
Prince of Wales was a dark-brown horse with a white stripe on 
his face and more or less white on three legs. He was some- 
what straight in his hocks and a bit Roman nosed, but in general 
was of good form and a remarkable mover at walk or trot. He 
was not only a great show horse but was regarded as one of 
the greatest begetters of sires that the Clydesdale breed has 
produced. Prince of Wales was last owned by David Riddell of 
Paisley, who purchased him at auction when eighteen years old 
for $4725 and in whose possession he died in 1888. Prominent 
among his sons are Prince of Albion, sold for $15,000, and his 
full brother, Prince of Kyle, sold for $8000 ; Prince Alexander, 
sold for $6000 as a yearling ; and Prince Robert. 

Darnley (222), a bay^ foaled in 1872, was bred by Sir William 
Sterling-Maxwell and was purchased when three years old by 
David Riddell, the owner of Prince of Wales. His sire was 



THE CLYDESDALE 143 

Conqueror (199), and his dam, Keir Peggy (187), had a fine 
show-yard record and as a dam of ten foals is regarded as one of 
the greatest mares of the breed. Her sons Darnley, Pollock, and 
Nevvstead all won first prizes at the Highland and Agricultural 
Society shows. She died in 1888. Darnley himself up to twelve 
years of age had a most distinguished career in the show ring. 
If Prince of Wales was a great stallion sire, so Darnley was a 
famous sire of mares. The descendants of these two animals 
mated unusually well, and from their union has resulted much 
that is best in recent Clydesdale blood. Three of Darnley's best 
sons were MacGregor {1487), Flash wood (3604), and Topgallant 
(1850). These were all great horses, but especially so was Mac- 
Gregor, whose sons gained fame in the show rings of Canada 
and the United States. As a sire this animal is regarded as 
second only to his own sire and Prince of Wales. 

Baron's Pride (9122), bred by R. & J. Findlay, Springhill, 
near Glasgow, was foaled in 1890 and died in 191 3 at twenty- 
three years of age. He was sired by Sir Everard (5353), a son of 
Topgallant (450), and had for dam Poorest Queen (7233), by 
Springhill Darnley (2429), a son of Darnley (222). Thus he 
united the blood of Prince of Wales and Darnley, than which 
there was nothing better. Up to four years of age he was a suc- 
cessful horse in the show ring. In 1894 A. & W. Montgomery 
purchased him, and he was from then on reserved for the stud, 
where he proved to be one of the greatest Clydesdale sires in 
the history of the breed. 

Baron of Buchlyvie (11263), bred by William McKeich, was 
foaled in 1900 and is the best-known son of Baron's Pride. His 
dam was Young Maybloom (12003), by Knight Errant (4483). 
As a colt he was said to have been somewhat undersized, and 
in the Scotch shows he was unable to win championship honors, 
though securing first, second, and third places at different times. 
As a two-year-old he sold to Kilpatrick and Dunlop for $3500. 
" The price seemed ample," writes Alexander Galbraith,^ "as the 
colt was somewhat undersized, decidedly narrow in conformation, 
and lacking in muscle and strength of bone. His chief points of 
excellence were extremely fine quality of bone and hair, the latter 

^ Breedo-s'' Gazette, January 10, 191 2. 



144 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



hanging like silk from his legs and hoof heads. He had also 
beautiful style and action. As he got older he grew and improved 
wonderfully, finishing a very handsome horse of nearly 2000 
pounds," In 191 1 at the Highland show his offspring monopo- 
lized the winnings. On December 14, 191 1, at public auction 
to dissolve the partnership between Kilpatrick and Dunlop, 
he sold for ^47,500, Mr. Dunlop being the purchaser. He has 
been regarded as the best advertised Clydesdale horse in history. 

Dunure Footprint (15203) was bred by William Dunlop, 
Dunure Mains, Ayr, and was foaled in 1908. He was sired 
by Baron of Buchlyvie (11263), dam Dunure Ideal (21283). 
Dunure Footprint is not only regarded as a model of the breed 
but is also the leading sire of his generation. He has won 
the highest honors of the Scotch shows, and his progeny are 
sought for at high figures. The following table will show him 
to lead the ten best sires in Scotland. 

An honor roll of Clydesdale sires of more recent years is given 
by the Clydesdale Horse Society of Great Bjitain, embracing the ten 
most prominent sires in the 191 5 shows. The record is as follows: 



Name 


Number 
OF Prizes 


First 


Second 


Third 


Champion- 
ship 


Total Number 
OF Offspring 


Dunure Footprint (15203) 


72 


iS 


16 


8 


5 


34 


Baron of Buchlyvie (11263) 


37 


1 I 


10 


7 


2 


21 


Apukwa (14567) 


37 


7 


6 


7 


6 


II 


Bonnie Buchlyvie (14032) 


16 


3 




6 




8 


Baron's Pride (9122) 


13 


3 


3 


3 


2 


7 


Everlasting (11331) 


8 


I 


2 


2 




6 


Hiawatha (10067) 


7 


4 


I 






5 


Revelanta (i 1876) 


7 


I 




I 




4 


Royal Favorite (10630) 


7 






I 




6 


Signet (16816) 


6 




2 


2 




4 



Clydesdales of merit in America date back to their early impor- 
tation. Of these the following may be mentioned as of special 
distinction : Donald Diuuic 273, by Glancer (339) ; Johnny Cope 
(416), by Justice (420); Glcncoc 158, by Prince of Wales 487 
(673) ; MacQiteen 35 1 3, by MacGregor (1487) ; Cedric 929 (1087), 
by Prince of Wales 487 (673); Lord Lyndoch 41 13 (4530), by 
Lord Blantyne (2243) ; Lyndoch Chief 5642 (8786), by Lord 



THE CLYDESDALE 



145 



Lyndoch 41 13 (4530); Young MacQiieen 8033, by MacOueen 
3513 (5200) ; Laminated Steel 8700, by Cedric 929 (1087); 
Benedict 9300 (10315), by Baron's Pride (9122). 

Prices paid for Clydesdales have run into high money in Scot- 
land, although in America values are often on a much lower 
level. In February, 191 2, the Clydesdale stud of William Taylor 




Fig. 54. Fairholm Footprint 17584, champion Clydesdale stallion at the Inter- 
national Live Stock Exposition. Bred by R. A. Fairbairn and sold for $5000 to 
Langwater Farms, North Easton, Massachusetts. From photograph by Ililde- 
brand, by courtesy of Mr. Fairbairn 

of Renfrew, Scotland, was sold at auction in Glasgow, Fifty-four 
head averaged $657, and nineteen aged horses averaged almost 
$1223. The top price was $8400 for Sir Rudolph. On October 7, 
191 5, in a dispersal sale, Robert Brydon, Seaham Harbor, Eng- 
land, sold one hundred head for an average price of ^1059.50, 
a breed record. The stallion Bonnie Buchlyvie (14032) at nine 
years of age brought $26,250. Phillipine, a three-year-old son of 
Bonnie Buchlyvie, brought $12,075. Thirty-four mares averaged 



146 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



$784. At the dispersal sale of William Dunlop, at Ayr, Scotland, 
January 14, 1919, thirteen stallions averaged $8382, a record not 
equaled by any other breed. The horse Dunure Independence, 
by Baron of Buchlyvie, sold to Robert Bryan of Cumnock for 
$25,725, the high price of the day. Dunure Refiner, by Dunure 
Footprint, brought $18,375. Dunure Kaleidescope, by Baron of 
Buchlyvie, brought $21,525. Dunure Keynote, full brother to 
Dunure Footprint, brought $17,325. Prince of Albion (6178) is 
said to have sold for $15,000, and the highest price ever paid 




Fig. 55. Judging Clydesdales at the Highland and Agricultural Society Show, 
Glasgow, Scotland. From photograph by the author 

for a two-year-old filly was $5000 for Montrave Rosea, by Prince 
of Albion. As noted elsewhere. Baron of Buchlyvie (11 263) sold 
in 191 1 for $47,500, the highest price paid for a draft horse to 
19 19, being equaled, however, in 19 17 by the Belgian P^arceur. 

The distribution of the Clydesdale is very widespread, but it 
has found most favor in English-speaking countries, notably 
Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Under normal conditions 
there is a rather active exportation from Scotland to other countries. 
In 191 3 Alexander Mowat ^ reported from Scotland that in 191 2 
there were 11 56 Ctydesdales exported to Canada, as compared 
with 1349 in 191 1 ; 57 to the United States against 97 in 191 1 ; 

^ Breeders' Gazette, January i. 1913- 



THE CLYDESDALE 147 

and 32 to South Africa against 25 in 191 1, vvitli smaller numbers 
to Australia, New Zealand, South America, Russia, Sweden, and 
Hungary, a total of 13 18 exported in 191 2 and of 161 7 in 191 1. 
In the United States the breed has not been altogether popular, 
and there are comparatively few studs in this country, some of the 
best being in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Michigan, 
Wisconsin, and Illinois, 

Organizations for promoting Clydesdales are mainly represented 
by registry associations. The Clydesdale Horse Society of Great 
Britain and Ireland was organized in 1877 and published the first 
volume of its studbook in 1878, since which time, up to 19 17, it 
has published forty volumes and registered 19,591 stallions and 
44,441 mares. The American Clydesdale Horse Association was 
organized in 1877 and up to January, 19 17, has published twenty 
volumes of studbooks, covering about 20,000 registrations. The 
Canadian Clydesdale Society has published twenty-six studbooks 
up to 19 1 8, and far-away New Zealand has a Clydesdale society 
that published two studbooks up to 191 5 inclusive. 



CHAPTER XVII 

THE SHIRE 

The very early history of the Shire horse traces back into the 
days of Roman conquest and almost prehistoric times. Abun- 
dant evidence as set forth in British history by the earhest 
writers makes it clear that a heavy type of work horse existed 
in those days. During the period when armor was worn it was 
necessary that a horse be of good size and be able easily to bear 
heavy weight in the saddle. According to the Venerable Bede, 
however, the English did not commonly use saddle horses until 
about A. D. 631. Neither was the horse used for war purposes 
in the first thousand years of the Christian Era. In the sixteenth 
century in England, when armor was used, according to Tower 
of London officials a man's armor weighed 99^ pounds, the 
horse's 81 pounds, and the spear 20 — a total of 200 pounds 
approximately. Adding to this the weight of a man, the horse 
had to support nearly 400 pounds, so that the necessity for a 
heavy horse in these days was very apparent. 

Various early paintings show the draft type of horse in use. 
Albert Durer, in 1505, made a painting of "The Great Horse," 
as it was termed. Vandyke, about 1620, painted a picture show- 
ing the Duke of Arenburg on such a horse. A famous painting 
by Paul Potter shows such a horse about 1652. 

The special region of Shire horse breeding in England has been 
in the east-central part, in the counties of Lincoln, Cambridge, 
Huntingdon, Northampton, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, and 
Norwich. However, the breed has been extensively produced on 
the low-lying lands outside of this area. During its past history it 
has been known in England as the "Great Horse," the "War 
Horse," the " Cart Horse," the " Old P2nglish Black Horse," 
the " Giant Lincolnshire," and the " Shire." The name " Large 
Black Old English Horse " was in use from the time of Oliver 
Cromwell (1649- 16 59) to modern times. 



THE SHIRE 



149 



The real origin of the Shire is fairly speculative. It is known 
that horses of this large draft type existed in England from 
very early times. We are told that a large draft type of horse 
existed in Flanders, in Holland, and in Germany in the valley 
of the Elbe, and that one hundred stallions were brought to 
England from these coun- 
tries as early as the twelfth 
century. These were used 
on the English horses of 
large type. Referring to 
the great paintings of cattle 
and sheep made by Paul 
Potter, who died in Am- 
sterdam, Molland, in 1654, 
Sir Walter Gilbey says ^ : 
"It is only reasonable to 
suppose that he exercised 
equal care in painting 
horses. The strain of 
North German and Flan- 
ders blood was at this period 
so strongly represented in 
our English Great Horses 
of the best stamp that we 
need not inquire whether 
this horse was of German, 
Flemish, or English origin, 
the character of all being 
practically the same." Thus 
no doubt the early Shire 
was of very mixed breeding. 

Robert Bakewell improved the Shire during the latter part 
of the eighteenth century, though it was then known as the 
Leicestershire Cart Horse. Bakewell was the earliest important 
improver of the English Shire horse. He went to Holland 
and imported mares, using them in systematic crossing with 

^ Sir Walter Gilbey, Bart., The Great Horse, or the War Horse ; from the time 
of the Roman Invasion till its Development into the Shire Horse. London, 1899. 




Fig. 56. ' The Great Horse." Reproduced 
from a drawing of the painting by Albert Diirer. 
It is from this horse of the sixteenth century 
that the Shire is supposed to have derived 
its ancestry 



150 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



English stallions. He pursued a careful course of selection and 
added to the value of the breed. It was during this century that 
this class of horses came into use for draft and farming purposes, 
the coat of armor having become obsolete. With the improve- 
ment of roads and the use of coaches the draft horse came into 
special demand. Gilbey, in his interesting historical work on 
"The Great Horse," gives copies of pictures of Shire horses: 
one, the horse Elephant, by an unknown artist about 1792 ; 




Fig. 57. Intake Albert, champion Shire stallion at the show of Royal Agricultural 
Society of England, 1904. From photograph by courtesy of American Agriculturist 

another, a gelding in use by a brewery in 1792, painted by 
Garrard ; and a third, of two horses, Pirate and Outlaw, painted 
in 1 8 10 by Zeitter. These horses are all of draft character, with 
hairy legs, mane, and tail. 

The old-fashioned type of Shires were large, coarse, and slow. 
They had big heads, coarse ears, and their thick lips had long 
hairs on them. The shoulders were heavy, the legs hairy, and 
the pasterns straight. Their action was sluggish, but their tem- 
perament was mild. Excess of hair seemed a characteristic, as 
based on some of the pictures extant. In 1842 Low wrote : 



THE SHIRE 151 

The modern English Black Horse retains the general characteristics of 
the preexisting race, but greatly modified. His color is usually a sooty 
black, with frequently a white lozenge-shaped mark on the forehead ; and 
he has very generally one or more of the feet and part of the legs, and not 
unfrequently the muzzle, white. His body is massive, compact, and round ; 
his limbs are stout, his chest is enormously broad, and his neck and back 
are short. His mane is thick and somewhat frizzled, and his legs below 
the knee and hock are hairy down to the heels. His whole aspect conveys 
the idea of great physical power without corresponding action. The main 
defects of this conformation and temperament are his too great bulk of body 
and want of action and mettle. For a pull with a heavy weight he is admirable. 

Different varieties of the Shire formerly existed in England ; 
some have said two, others three. In the first "Shire Studbook " 
Dr. Reynolds groups the breed into three varieties ; namely : 

(i) Those having the upper lip garnished with a long, thick moustache, con- 
sidered at one time a distinguishing characteristic of the Lincolnshire horse. 

(2) Horses having the lips, muzzle, and eyelids destitute of the hair. 
The skin in these places is either entirely bald cr covered with exceedingly 
fine down, is almost invariably flesh colored, and is sometimes marked with 
small dark spots and blotches.- These are termed bald liotses or bald faced. 

(3) Those having a long tuft of hair growing from the front of each 
knee, and rarer examples having also a similar growth from the hind part 
of the hock, just below its point. This is quite different from the ordinary 
hair on the back of the cannons. 

It i-j also to be noted that in the past the horses in some 
counties of England have differed from those of other counties. 
However, modern effort on the part of breeders has succeeded 
in producing a more uniform type, in which greater refinement, 
better bone, more action, and perhaps less hair are found. 

The modern Shire horse is an improvement over the horse of 
fifty years ago. The features of large size, hairy legs, and draft 
type have been maintained, but the modern Shire has more 
action and life, possesses more quality and finish, and has more 
uniformity of type than had his ancestors. The English breeders 
recognized the need of improvement of their draft horse and 
emphasized quality, action, flat bone, and uniformity. In recent 
times this improvement has been greatly aided by the Shire Horse 
Society and the comparisons possible through the exhibitions of this 
society at Islington. The late Sir Walter Gilbey, a constructive 



152 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



breeder and horse student who died in 191 6, was long a leader 
in the work of improving the Shire. 

Importation of Shires to America began many years ago, but 
just when the first of this sort came over cannot be absolutely 
stated. A horse named Tamworth, possibly of this breed, was 
brought from England to London, Ontario, Canada, in 1836. 

In i847anotherhorse, 
named King Alfred, 
was imported. In 
1853 a Mr. Strickland 
brought a stallion 
known as John Bull 
from England to Au- 
rora, Illinois, where he 
became well known. 
Several others were 
i mported into northern 
Illinois soon after this. 
George E.Brown, long 
a prominent Shire 
breeder at Aurora, 
states that as far as he 
has been able to learn, 
the earliest advertise- 
ment of Shires by any 
importer in Western 
agricultural papers was 
in 1875, Along in the 
eighties many stallions 
were brought to America from England. In recent years there 
has been but little activity in importing, the leading importers 
being in northern Illinois. 

The characteristics of the Shire that distinguish the breed and 
which may be considered of most interest are the following : the 
Jicad is large, with a tendency to Roman profile. The zvithcrs are 
high, the back strong, with wide-sprung and deep ribs, showing 
a large middlepiece. The cronp is comparatively level and wide, 
and the quarters are powerfully muscled. The legs are large, and 




Fig. 58. Boro Blusterer 14187 (31 140), grand-cham- 
pion Shire stalHon at the Panama-Pacific and 
International Live-Stock Expositions, 191 5. From 
photograph by Ilildebrand, by courtesy of Truman's 
Pioneer Stud Farm, owners, Bushnell, Illinois 



THE SHIRE 153 

the bones tend to be a bit coarse. British critics in the past have 
objected to round cannons and meaty bone. In recent years this 
criticism has not been warranted. The pasterns have been subject 
to unfavorable comment as being too short and not sloping enough, 
though this does not apply so much to modern, well-bred Shires. 
The feet are very large and often shelly and tend to be flat at 
the heel. The back of the cannon bones, knees, and hocks have 
long, flowing, fine hair (frequently termed "feather") on the best 
examples of the breed. Excessive leg hair and heavy bone are 
objected to as evidences of sluggishness and lack of quality, as 
compared with less hair and finer bone. The hairy legs of the 
Shire have always prejudiced Americans against the breed, while 
in England considerable adverse criticism exists, as is evidenced 
by the following from C. W. Tindall in the Live Stock Jcnirnal 
of London : 

What I would particularly like to call attention to, and which for some years 
has been a matter of great controversy and is now one of very serious im- 
portance, is the question of hair. In my opinion we have for a long time 
thrown away the substance for the shadow, and the excessive quantity of hair 
that we have in many of our Shire horses is not only a detriment to the 
horses, but loss in money value to the breeders. So far as I can make out, 
none of the users of the Shire horse want it. I am in London most weeks, 
and I never go through London without seeing a number of Shire horses with 
the hair clipped off their legs. None of the users in town want it, and so far 
as I know, few of the farmers, especially on strong land, want it. I believe 
there is no doubt whatever that the Shire is the finest draft horse in the world, 
and in my opinion if he could be divested of hair he would take possession 
of all the foreign and colonial markets. . . . From what I could gather in the 
Argentine, everyone liked the Shire the best, but they could not stand the hair 
on his legs ; hence the reason the Percheron has practically taken possession 
of the market, and from what I can gather this applies equally to Canada, 
Australia and other markets, and I am of the opinion that in the future some- 
thing must be done to remedy this defect. 

The action of the Shire in the past has been a subject of un- 
favorable comment, it being regarded as heavy and sluggish. 
The great weight of this horse naturally influences his action, 
causing a slow movement. The more modern type of the Shire, 
however, has been improved in this regard, although he is yet 
decidedly inferior to the other draft breeds of prominence. 



154 



TIIK HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



The color of the Shire is commonly bay or brown, with white 
markinp^s on the face or forehead and on the legs below the knee 
or hock. There is considerable variation, however, in Shire color. 
Gray, black, chestnut, or sorrel are not uncommon, while shades 
of roan also prevail to a minor degree. A Shire of chestnut 




Fig. 59. Woodfield Starlight 16814 (76532), chanipion Shire marc, International 

Live Stock Exposition, 1918. Owned by Truman's Pioneer Stud Farm, Bushnell, 

Illinois. From photograph by Hildebrand, by courtesy of the owners 



color is regarded in England as having a tendency to softness. 
A bay or brown Shire with white markings appears identical with 
the Clydesdale, so that when the two breeds are in the same 
stable it is quite difficult if not impossible in some cases to 
distinguish one from the other. 

The size of the Shire exceeds that of any other draft breed 
known in America or Great Britain. Tn height the mature stal- 
lion should stand close to 1 7 hands, although the average may be 



THE SHIRE 155 

about half a hand less. The weight of the Shire of real drafty 
character ranges from 1800 to 2000 pounds, the latter figure not 
being uncommon. Discussing the subject of heavy weight of the 
Shire, Mr. J. G. Truman, a noted importer and authority on this 
breed, states^ that the heaviest horse he ever saw was the Shire 
stallion Great Britain (978), imported by his father in the early 
eighties. On the docks at Boston, after a stormy passage, he 
weighed 2775 pounds, and two weeks later at Bushnell, Illinois, 
weighed 2830 pounds and was not what would be considered fat. 
The heaviest mare ever seen by Mr. Truman was Fuschia, junior 
champion at the Shire Horse Society Show in London, weighing 
in her four-year form 2475 pounds. 

The crossbred or grade Shire is frequently an excellent animal, 
showing more activity and quality than prevails in the pure bred, 
especially if one parent is of lighter and more active type. The 
great size of the Shire contributes a degree of substance highly 
desirable in draft work. In 1904 a grade Shire of remarkable 
size and quality was sold on the Chicago horse market for $865, 
up to that time the highest price on record in this market for a 
draft gelding. A combination of Shire and Clydesdale blood is har- 
monious, producing a desirable crossbred that has long been in use. 

The special field for the Shire is in heavy draft work on com- 
paratively level roads, where slow, steady service is wanted and 
action is a minor consideration. On the level prairies of the West 
this horse would no doubt meet with an encouraging degree of 
popularity were it not for the hairy legs. At the plow or in 
hauling heavy loads the Shire is surpassed by none, but his hair- 
iness, if nothing else, bars him for place as a favorite. In spite of 
the British claim to the contrary, the American farmer believes 
that these hairy legs promote scratches, and covered with frozen 
mud they certainly are a source of discomfort. 

The temperament of the Shire, as already indicated, is phleg- 
matic and quiet. Without doubt the Shire is steady under the 
collar and easy to manage under most conditions. In England 
one will see many of these horses hauling great loads in the 
cities and working at heavy labor on the farms, giving every 
evidence of patient, dependable service. 

1 Breeders' Gazette, April 23, 19 13. 



156 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

The soundness of the Shire horse has been made a subject of 
special investigation in connection witli the annual show of the 
Shire Horse Society in London. Between 1893 and 191 2, veteri- 
narians examined 6457 horses presented for show, rejecting 577, 
or about 10 per cent, the average for twenty years being about 
8 per cent a year. It is interesting to note that of the several 
forms of unsoundness 33.5 per cent was due to sidebones, 9.2 
per cent to spavins, and 5.9 per cent to ringbones, while 26 per 
cent was due to defective respiration. 

Important Shire stallions of breeding fame in England seem 
to date back to about 1755. 

Packington Blind Horse, said to have been foaled about 1760, 
was recognized as a prepotent force in early days in the counties 
of Leicester and Derby. 

Honest Tom (1062), foaled in 1806 in Lincolnshire, was a 
prominent sire in his day, and his descendants proved his merit. 
This horse at five years of age sold for 300 guineas ($1500). He 
was also known as Old Tom, alias Little David, alias Old David. 

William the Cojtqneror {2T)4'3>) was foaled in 1862 in Nottingham 
County. He was a brown in color, a winner of some prizes in 
the show ring, and was the sire of Prince William (3956), Esquire 
(2774), and Staunton Hero (2918), all noted stallions. 

LincolnsJiire Lad //(1365), foaled in 1872, a gray in color, 
was one of the best-known modern sires of show-ring winners. 
He stood 17 hands high, had an excess of hair, was somewhat 
lacking in depth of body, but had much ambition and courage 
and proved a great getter of superior stock. 

Bar None (2388), a bay, foaled in 1877, was bred by Thomas 
Holmes of Yorkshire. He won the Shire Society championship 
in 1882. He attained great success in the stud, transmitting 
superb quality and high-class legs. 

Premier (2646), a bay, foaled in 1880, was bred by John Fisher 
of Lancashire. His sire. What's Wanted (2332), was a well- 
known show and breeding animal. Premier proved a quite suc- 
cessful sire of prize-winning animals at the Shire Society Show. 

Harold (3703), a brown, foaled in 1881, bred in Derbyshire, 
won numerous important prizes in the show ring. He was very 
meritorious as a sire, transmitting to his offspring size, excellent 



THE SHIRE 



157 



bone, and plenty of energy. He was sired by Lincolnshire Lad II 
(1365), previously referred to. 

Pnnce William (3956), by William the Conqueror (2343), had 
for dam Lockington Beauty, by Champion (457). He was foaled 
in 1883 and died in 1905, aged twenty-two years. For twenty years 




Fig. 60. Harfine Bonsor, a fine type of Shire mare owned by Truman's Pioneer 
Stud Farm, Buslinell, Illinois. Photograph by Hildebrand, by courtesy of owners 



he stood at the head of the stud of Lord Wantage, Lockinge Park. 
In 1894 fifty-two animals sired by him sold at an average of $600. 

HitcJiin Conqueror (4458) was foaled in 1883, being sired by 
William the Conqueror (2343), His dam was Flower, by Honest 
Prince (1058). Hitchin Conqueror sired many fine prize winners 
and superior breeding animals. 

B7iry Chief Victor (11 105), a black with white markings, was 
foaled in 1889, He was a horse of very superior conforma- 
tion, a great show animal and prize winner, and a superior sire. 



158 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

In 1 89 1 he was sold to Mr. Wainvvright for 2500 guineas ($12,500), 
the highest price for a Shire up to that time. 

Lockmge Forest King (18867), a bay, foaled in 1899, was 
bred by Lord Wantage. He was sired by Lockinge Manners 
(16780) and out of (4470) The Forest Queen, by Royal Albert 
(1885). The most noted of recent-day sires, many of his sons 
and grandsons have proved sires of great prepotency and value. 

Birdsall Mcnestrel (19337), a bay, foaled in 1900, was bred 
by Lord Middleton, Birdsall House, York. He was sired by 
Menestrel (141 80) and out of (22925) Birdsall Darling. This 
horse attained fame in the show ring and has proved a sire of 
distinct merit. 

In a study of prepotent Shire-blood lines ^ Ellis D, McFarland 
brings out the fact that of the 2218 Shires awarded prizes at 
the Shire Society Show at London during twenty years ending 
in 191 2, 2150 trace directly to common progenitors, of which 
but ten are of much importance. Lincolnshire Lad II has always 
ranked first in the list of common progenitors. From 1883 to 
1899 Matchless ranked second, but since that time he has held 
third place, with William the Conqueror second. These are the 
three outstanding sires. The number of prize winners from 1893 
to 1 9 1 2 tracing directly to famous sires are as follows : 1257 trace 
directly to Lincolnshire Lad II ; 440 to William the Conqueror; 
235 to Matchless; 81 to Bar None; 63 to Lincoln; 62 to Royal 
Albert; 45 to Major; 41 to Vulcan; 19 to Heart of Oak; and 
9 to What 's W'anted. 

The distribution of the Shire horse is world-wide. In England 
this is the common draft breed and is especially conspicuous in 
the low-lying central farming sections and in the large cities. 
The Shire has secured a foothold in most of the English-speaking 
colonies, and prior to the World War many were exported to 
Australia and Canada, while Germany and Argentina have also 
imported a considerable number. In the United States the breed 
is best known in Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, and Ohio, its logical 
field being in the corn-belt states. 

The prices paid for Shires mount into very high figures. In 
1909 the stallion Tatton Dray King (23777), champion of the 

^ Breeders^ Gazette, June ii, 1914. 



THE SHIRE 



159 



Shire Society Show, sold for 3700 guineas, or about 1^18,500, 
at the dispersal sale of horses of the late Earl Egerton of Tatton, 
Cheshire, England. In this sale 21 head sold for an average 
price of about $2325. The stallion Dan Patch 9856 (28815), 
foaled in 1905 and champion at the International Live Stock Ex- 
position in 19 10, was sold during the show by Truman's Pioneer 
Stud Farm of Illinois, importers, for $10,000. In 191 1 the mare 
Bellingsborough Belle sold at auction in England for $6200, 
the high price for a Shire mare up to that time. In March, 

191 3, the two-year-old stallion Childwick Champion (22215) sold 
at Lord Rothschild's sale for $20,664. At the dispersal sale 
of the Tring Park stud in England in 191 5 the average price 
received for 47 ani- 
mals of both sexes was 
$2822, the average for 
32 stallions and colts 
being $3614. In 1918 
the five-months-old 
horse foal Pendley 
Goalkeeper sold in 
England for $7000. 
In various sales held 
in England in 1916 
Shire stallions sold up to $15,000, Norbury Menestrel bringing 
this price at the sale of the late L. Solomon, Many Shire mares 
and fillies have sold at prices ranging from $750 to $2000. 

Associations to promote the Shire horse are comparatively young. 
The English Cart Horse Society was organized in 1878, essen- 
tially to promote the Shire, and in 1884 it changed its name to 
that of the Shire Horse Society. Up to January, 19 19, this 
society had published thirty-nine volumes of studbooks and had 
registered 126,437 animals. As long ago as 1898 the society 
had 2237 members. The annual show of the society is the great- 
est single-breed horse show in Great Britain, some 700 horses 
usually being exhibited. The Shire Horse Society of Canada 
published Volume I of its studbook in 1901 and Volume III in 

1914. The American Shire Association was organized in 1885, and 
up to January, 1919, has published twelve volumes of studbooks. 




Fig. 01. 1 'lacing awards on Shires at the Royal 
Show, England. From photograph by the author 



CHAPTER XVIII 

THE SUFFOLK 

The native home of the Suffolk horse, or Suffolk Punch, as it 
has been known, is in Suffolk County in the eastern part of 
England. This county is flat in character with clayey soil, is 
generally cultivated, borders on the seashore, and comprises 
about fifteen hundred square miles. This is a thickly populated 
community, the farms small and highly cultivated. The county 
of Essex, which joins Suffolk on the south, may also be con- 
sidered to some extent within the native territory of this breed. 

The early history of the Suffolk horse traces clearly back to 
about 1700. While Normandy horse stock has been assumed by 
some as playing an early part in the formation of the breed, 
no positive information exists on this point. In purity of blood it 
is believed that the Suffolk surpasses any other breed in Great 
Britain. The general evidence, as given by various authorities, 
indicates that for several centuries this horse has been bred in 
Suffolk with much purity. 

The pure-bred Suffolk foundation really dates back to a horse 
of unknown sire, foaled in 1768, known as the " Crisp Horse," 
being owned by a Mr. Crisp of Ufford, Sussex. To this horse 
are traced all pedigrees of the breed that may be registered in 
the studbook of either England or America. This history has 
been clearly and fully traced and stands accepted by breeders 
universally. The Crisp horse was a bright chestnut in color, 
stood 15^- hands high, and proved a remarkable breeder. In the 
development of the Suffolk since his time four attempts have 
been made to introduce foreign blood and thus improve the 
stock. In no case, however, has this blood held its own, but 
has been completely absorbed and the breeding lost. 

The foreign blood used to improve the Suffolk was as follows; 

I. TJie Blake strain. This came from the use of a Lincoln- 
shire trotting horse with no Suffolk blood, known as Blake's 

160 



THE SUFFOLK l6i 

Farmer. This strain was in existence from 1780 to 1880 and 
at one time was very popular. 

2. TJie WrigJU strain. This originated from a horse from 
Lincolnshire known as Wright's Farmer's Glory, or the Attle- 
boro horse. He was a chestnut, clean-limbed, and may have been 
a half-bred Suffolk. This strain existed from 1800 to about 1880. 

3. TJie Shadingficld strain. This came from the produce of a 
trotting horse, the son of a Thoroughbred, and he also was a 
chestnut. This strain existed for about half a century, the last 
being foaled in 1846. 

4. Martin s Boxer strain. This appeared to be a Suffolk, 
though he was not, being out of a "black blood mare." This strain 
never obtained any foothold beyond two mares of remote breeding. 

These strains were all started to improve the breed, but they 
presented deficiencies ; neither could they overcome the predom- 
inant Suffolk blood and character. 

The history of the modern Suffolk horse is essentially a most 
compact one. It deals with the development of the breed mainly 
in Suffolk and vicinity by the farmers generally, and is histori- 
cally correct, largely due to the far-reaching investigations of 
Herman Biddell, the editor of the first " Suffolk Studbook." 
Among the horses of the last century that had much influence 
on the development of the breed are Edward's Old Briton (490), 
Catlin's Duke (296), Crisp's Fairhead's Boxer (405), Julian's 
Boxer (755), Crisp's Cupbearer (14 16), Garret's Cupbearer 3d 
(566), and Foxhall (1423). The latter was imported to America 
by Galbraith Brothers. 

The history of the Suffolk horse in America is rather restricted, 
these horses being comparatively unknown in the United States 
in the early eighties. In 1882 the editor of the National Live 
Stock Journal wrote : " If some of these Suffolk horses could be 
imported and bred alongside of the Shire and Clydesdale, it would 
give an opportunity to see what would prove the best for Ameri- 
can purposes." In 1883 this same journal states that Suffolks are 
finding great favor in Canada. However, Powell Brothers of Penn- 
sylvania imported the first stallions to the United States in 1880. 
In 1888 Galbraith Brothers of Janesville, Wisconsin, made their 
first importation of stallions, and Peter Hopley & Company of 



l62 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



Lewis, Iowa, the same year imported the first mares. At the 
World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893 a few Suffolks 
were exhibited, mainly by Peter Hopley & Company, although 
B. Ramsey of Iowa and Mossom Boyd & Company of Canada 
also exhibited. In 1903 forty-one head were imported to America. 




Fig. 62. Sudbourne Count (3257), a typical Suffolk stallion. From photograph, 
by courtesy of Fred Smith, secretary of Suffolk Horse Society, England 



At the 1904 International Live-Stock Exposition an exhibit of 
about a dozen Suffolk stallions and mares was made by Peter 
Hopley & Son. In recent years the breed has been gaining in 
favor in America, though slowly, and importations have continued 
in a small way. 

Characteristics of the Suffolk horse. This breed has long pos- 
sessed certain distinctive features, quite marked in contrast with 
other breeds. The following are worthy of special consideration : 



THE SUFFOLK 163 

The Suffolk has a tendency to small ears, the forehead is 
broad, and the ejus are of medium size and only fairly prominent. 
The nose tends to Roman form, which has been rather character- 
istic of the breed. The jaws are strong and the cheeks deep and 
full. The Jieck has something of an arch, — in fact, with stallions 
this is \Qvy pronounced, — with not too much heaviness at the 
crest. The neck sometimes joins the head a bit heavily, but at 
the shoulders it is, as a rule, well placed. The shoulder should 
be long but not extremely oblique. A race-horse placing of 
shoulder is not desired among Suffolk breeders, a straighter 
shoulder being better suited to draft work. The body of this 
breed is one of its notable features. It has long been character- 
ized by great depth and circumference, considering the size of 
the horse. The 7-ibs have an unusual spring and depth, thus 
giving the body a very round, full form. Formerly this was 
unnecessarily deep and round, giving the body a paunchiness 
from which the term " Punch " was evolved and given as a part 
of the breed name. Modern breeders object to heaviness of belly. 
For size the body girths unusually well. A girth of about eight 
feet back of the shoulders is commended. The crot/p is full 
and well carried out, the tendency to steepness being slight. 

Strong quarters and hocks are a feature of the breed, but there 
has been some criticism of the hocks. One family, Catlin's 
Boxer 299, has had this feature of bent hind legs and weak 
hocks, and Crisp's Conqueror 413 and Cupbearer 416, famous 
sires as they were, had a tendency to this trouble. The legs of 
the Suffolk are very free from superfluous hair, and while they 
have been criticized as lacking in bone, the breeders insist that 
this is not so. If fairly compared with the long-haired breeds, 
they maintain that plenty of bone will be manifest. Yet the bone 
is not large, but of superior texture. A girth of loi inches below 
the knee is given by Mr. Biddell as ample, more being thought 
unnecessary. The feet have been criticized much in the past. 
The middle of the last century it was claimed that the feet were 
flat and the hoofs brittle and that sidebones were common. Now 
for years, however, by the rules of the Suffolk Society, all horses 
shown must be submitted to a veterinarian's examination, which 
has resulted in a great improvement. 



1 64 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



In 1893 Professor Robert Wallace, the Scotch authority, 
stated that "at one time they were flat-footed and liable to 
become lame if worked regularly on the hard road or on stone 
pavements, but the care bestowed upon breeding has in recent 
years eliminated this defect among animals of the first rank." 
As seen by the author, the feet tend to be somewhat small and 
lacking in fullness at the top of the hoof. The quality and action 
of the Suffolk rank well. The breed cannot be classed as coarse, 
while in action it stands next to the Clydesdale among draft 

horses. Wallace states 
that they twist their 
legs and feet when 
moving, but this does 
not apply to-day as 
much as it may have 
formerly. The height 
ranges from 16 to 17 
hands, though 16 to 
i6i is more common. 
In fact, this breed 
should be short of leg 
and close to the 
ground, though the 
Suffolks the author 
has seen in this coun- 
try have shown con- 
siderable height and weight. The tueight should not run high, 
1800 to 1900 pounds being ample. Greater weights than this 
are attained, but they are not typical ; for example, Galbraith 
gives 1800 to 2200 pounds, but this brings him up to a horse 
of large size among the draft breeds, a thing never claimed by 
Suffolk breeders. The Suffolk should not be as large as Clydes- 
dale or Shire and is not bred for the heavy draft work of the 
city, but for farm purposes, where less weight is required. This 
is generally conceded by advocates of the breed. 

The color of the Suffolk horse is one of its most characteristic 
features, always being chestnut and varying only from light to 
dark. The statement has been made that in an investigation of 




Fig. 63. An American-bred Suffolk mare. From 
photograph, by courtesy of F. S. Peer 



THE SUFFOLK 165 

the color of the Suffolk, twelve thousand matings were examined 
and every foal found to be of a chestnut color. Biddell allows 
for seven shades of chestnut, ranging from a dark hue (compa- 
rable to liver color or burnt chestnut) to a " bright " one, this lat- 
ter being the most common and popular of all. A light, mealy 
chestnut is very unpopular, as indicating weak constitution, soft 
legs, and slow temperament. A few white hairs in the body 
color may be permitted but are not desirable. White marks, such 
as a star in the forehead, a strip or blaze on the face, or white 
pasterns or ankles, are admissible. In fact "white stockings" 
sometimes occur, coming as high as the top of the cannon bone. 
There is a tendency for the manes and tails to be of a lighter 
shade than the body color, an inheritance from the earlier days 
when flaxen manes and tails were common. 

The fecundity and longevity of Suffolks is highly attested. 
Numerous cases are given to show that the breed is very prolific 
and tenacious of life. The dam of Webb's Rising Star (1266) 
was twenty-two years old when he was foaled, and the dam of 
Loft's Cupbearer (842) had sixteen foals in sixteen years. A 
mare and foal were shown at one of the early Suffolk Agricultural 
Association shows, the mare being thirty-seven years of age when 
the foal was dropped. In 191 7 the Mark Lane Express reported 
that Mr. Alfred Preston's mare Gladys, then thirty years old, 
was in active daily farm work and had raised fourteen foals. 
The great stallion Julian Boxer (755) traveled at least twenty-five 
seasons and left a large number of superior sons and daughters. 
Instances have been known where stallions have traveled from 
sixteen to twenty-one consecutive years, rendering breeding service 
each season. 

The grade or crossbred Suffolk horse is not as yet common 
in America, while in England the breed is kept pure. Alexander 
Galbraith states that the grades from native American mares 
have good size and bone, while they are particularly smooth 
built and are almost invariably chestnut in color. According to 
official authority^ in the South, grade Suffolks have given such 
satisfaction as to cause a rapid increase in their use. One breeder 

1 The Suffolk Horse. A pamphlet by the American Suffolk Horse Association, 
1917. 



166 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



in Texas says that grades bred under range conditions have proved 
superior to all others. In Minnesota grade Suffolks outsold the 
grades sired by horses of two other breeds. 

The Suffolk as a draft horse ranks high among the farmers of 
eastern England. It is considered capable of doing a maximum 
amount of labor on a less amount of feed and for longer periods 
than other drafters. This is the opinion of the people of Suffolk, 
however. Its steadiness and persistence at pull have long made 




Fig. 64. A great six-horse hitch of Suffolks. From photograph, by courtesy of 
Fred Smith, secretary of Suffolk Horse Society, Woodbridge, England 



the breed famous, but this same characteristic is probably equally 
well established with other breeds. During the W'orld War the 
Suffolk horses used in the British army in France showed great 
endurance and made a most favorable impression. 

The distribution of Suffolk horses is extremely widespread, in 
fact more so than is commonly supposed. They have been exported 
to Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, France, Austria, 
Germany, Sweden, Russia, South Africa, and the Nile region of 
Africa. In Canada and the United States they have no great 
foothold, but are scattered over these countries in a small way. 



THE SUFFOLK 167 

In this country up to this time they have been best known in 
Iowa, but important studs have been estabhshed in recent years 
in Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and IlHnois. Small studs 
have also been formed in other states, notably Massachusetts, 
Washington, and Oregon. 

The promotion of the Suffolk horse has long been conducted 
by the Suffolk Horse Society in England, and in 1880 this 
organization published the first studbook of the breed. Up to 
January, 19 19, this association had published twenty-two volumes. 
The American Suffolk Horse Association was organized in 191 1 
and up to 19 19 had published but two volumes of its studbook. 

The prices paid for Suffolk horses have greatly strengthened 
in recent years, but the demand for them has been essentially 
local. One thousand dollars is recorded as paid for mares in 
1 9 19, and the stallion Freston Khedive changed hands at $6250. 
The Suffolk mare Beatrice was sold at Sudbourne, England, for 
$4500, and her foal brought ^1500. 



CHAPTER XIX 
PONIES 

What is a pony? By common consent at the present day a 
pony is regarded as a small horse the height of which does not 
exceed 14^ hands. However, in discussing this subject Sir Walter 
Gilbey states^ that prior to the organization of the Hackney Horse 
Society in 1883 the dividing line between the horse and pony in 
England was vague and undefined. It was then found necessary 
to distinguish clearly between horses and ponies, and 14 hands 
was made the standard. The Polo Pony Society, however, estab- 
lished 14^ hands as the extreme height for a polo pony, and this 
also is the maximum allowed by the American Shetland Pony 
Club. Prior to 1883, according to Gilbey, small horses in Great 
Britain were indifferently known as galloways, hobbies, cobs, or 
ponies, irrespective of their height. It is interesting to note that 
the Thoroughbred two hundred years ago is said to have had an 
average height of 14 hands, but he has gradually increased in 
stature, so that to-day his standard is 15 hands 2I inches. Ponies 
vary in height standards, according to breeds and classes. 

The Welsh pony has long been bred in Wales, where for hun- 
dreds of years it has been used among the mountains of that 
country. It is said that these ponies were much improved early 
in the eighteenth century by crossing with a small race horse 
called Merlin. They have also been somewhat improved by the 
use of Arab blood. Considerable variation occurs among Welsh 
ponies in size and also in type. These variations have been 
recognized by the Welsh Pony and Cob Society of Great Britain 
by classifying them for show and registration in four sections, 
A, B, C, and D, as follows : 

A. Welsh vioufitain p07iy. Parti. Height not to exceed 12 hands. Color 
of any sort. In type this resembles a small Arabian or Thoroughbred, pos- 
sessing much the same character and carriage of head, rump, and tail. It is 

1 Thoroughbred and Other Ponies. London, 1904. 
168 



PONIES 



169 



found in the more hilly sections and has great bone and superior muscle and 
endurance. No doubt it was originally improved by Arab and Thoroughbred 
stallions. Part II. Height not to exceed I2i hands, and to be more cobby in 
appearance than ponies in Part I. 

B. Should range from i z\ to 1 3! hands, is of the cobby type, and is not 
as well adapted to mountain lands as the preceding. In harness both classes 
A and B make a very showy appearance. 

C. Should range from 13^ to 14! hands. This comes into the cob class, a 
blockier sort than A and B. 

D. There is no height limit in this class, but these ponies are suited to 
mounted infantry or cavalry service. Ponies of classes B and C are freely used 
in Wales, where, attached to really 

heavy carts, they trot across country 
at remarkable speed. 

"A typical Welsh pony," 
says F. T. Barton, ^ "should 
have a small clean-cut head, 
wide between the eyes, and 
the muzzle should taper so 
that it becomes free from 
bluntness. A narrow muzzle 
is the correct type in this and 
every other variety of pony, 
whilst the nostrils ought to be 
large and thin in their car- 
tilage." Barton emphasizes 
a slender neck of the Thor- 
oughbred sort rather than a 
short thick one, and states 

that "a short-coupled strong back and loins, together with long 
and fine compact quarters, a deep girth, and fine shoulders, are 
features requisite to the Welsh pony or cob." 

Welsh ponies have been used in America for many years, but 
are now attracting more attention than ever. They possess more 
style, action, and size than the Shetland and are suited to either 
saddle or harness. A good specimen of the breed should at least 
show plenty of speed and forcible knee and hock action. Owing to 
their general activity and endurance they find favor for polo playing. 




Fig. 65. Merlin Myddfai, a typical Welsh 
pony, bred by John Jones, Llandudno, 
Wales. From photograph by the author 



^ Ponies and All about Them, p. 171. London, 1911. 



I/O THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

The Exmoor pony has long been known on the moors of 
southwestern England in West Somerset and North Devonshire. 
Here, on some twenty thousand acres, these ponies have been 
bred more or less wild for perhaps centuries. This breed has 
been classed as the highest type of pony, closely resembling the 
Arab in conformation. Captain W. C. Kerr describes the Exmoor 
in part as follows : 

The true Exmoor pony is a strong, well-knit, i3-to-i4-hand animal of the 
dray-horse sort in miniature type . . . , sure-footed, docile, generally bay in color, 
and possessing an iron-clad constitution. . . . His salient points are strength 
of loin, well-sprung ribs, great breadth of chest ; in fact, he is what your 
people would term a "chunky" httle fellow. . . . All are natural fencers, and 
the way they surmount the tremendous banks is marvelous. I ought to men- 
tion that their heads are very neat and blood-like, in some cases very Arab- 
like ; they carry their tails gayly, have a little silky hair about the heels, but, 
like all our ponies, are often faulty about the shoulders. 

These ponies commonly have a mealy color of the muzzle and 
flanks, and their color is dominant, it is claimed, even in the 
crossbreds. The standard colors are bay or brown, but those of 
dun color are not infrequent. A dark streak along over the spine 
is also characteristic. The Polo Pony Studbook gives the height 
as ranging from ii| to 13 hands. Exmoor ponies have been 
considerably improved by Arab and Thoroughbred blood. The 
improved form meets with favor for polo playing, for use with 
children in saddle, and as a harness pony for cart, phaeton, or 
other light vehicle. There are but few Exmoor ponies in America. 

The Dartmoor pony derives its name from an extensive tract 
of about two hundred thousand acres of land in Cornwall, in the 
extreme southwestern end of England. Here ponies have been 
bred and run wild for many generations. They closely resemble 
the Exmoor. Bay, brown, and black are the more common colors, 
though chestnut and gray occur. These ponies stand close to 13 
hands. They are very hardy and are comparatively little known. 
Vero Shaw states^ that it cannot be claimed for the Dartmoor 
that he possesses anything in the way of extravagant action to 
commend him to the attention of the public, nor is his appearance 
so striking as to extract expressions of admiration from strangers. 

1 Charles Richardson, The New Book of the Horse, Vol. II. London, 191 1. 



PONIES 



171 



On the other hand, it can conscientiously be argued in his favor 
that he is capable of getting through an immense amount of hard 
work, that he is a fast pony for his inches, and that his consti- 
tution is as hard as iron. 

The New Forest pony has its native home in the New Forest, 
which embraces about 145 square miles of fields and forests in 
south-central England, in the coastal region. Here these ponies 




Fig. 66. A Welsh pony mare and foal, of mountain type, owned by John Jones, 
Llandudno, Wales. From photograph by the author 



have run wild for centuries. W. Scarth Dixon states^ that this 
pony is a survival of Saxon times and that when he visited 
the New Forest in 1897 it was estimated that there were over 
3000 ponies in the forest, about 2000 of which were brood mares. 
These ponies have been crossed more or less with other breeds, 
notably the Thoroughbred, Arab, Welsh, Exmoor, and Norwe- 
gian. Very satisfactory results are said to have been derived 
from the Arab and Thoroughbred cross. These ponies stand from 

1 The New Book of the Horse, Vol. I, p. 314. 



172 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

ii| to 13^ hands high, with 12 to 13 the standard, and they 
are generally bay or brown, with tan muzzle and "a little white 
under the eyes." Other colors prevail, however. There is a 
New Forest Pony Association, which promotes the breed. 

The Highland pony is native to certain islands off the west 
coast of Scotland. Mr. W. Mackenzie ^ of the Isle of Mull sepa- 
rates the Highland into three groups, as follows : First, those 
of Barra and the small islands, standing i2| to 13.V hands, some- 
what plain and large of head, inclined to be straight of shoulder, 
and usually black, bay, or brown, with occasional duns and grays. 
These are very hardy ponies, suited to poor feeding and exposure. 
Second, a high-class riding pony of the West Highlands and 
Islands, standing 14 to 14^ hands high, black, brown, dun, and 
gray in color, and showing a "very strong cross of Arab blood." 
These ponies have beautiful heads and shoulders, and on poor 
keep are especially suited to heavy-saddle work. This line of 
Highland ponies has largely run out. The third class is often 
called the Garron pony, and is native more especially to the 
Central Highlands rather than the West, and may attain a height 
of 15 hands. "It is thought they were bred from the original 
small pony crossed with the larger horses brought into the High- 
lands with troops during the unsettled time, and now a very 
typical Garron can be produced by crossing a small Clydesdale 
horse with the West Highland pony mare." This is more of a 
small horse and is better adapted to mountain farm work than to 
the saddle. 

The Connemara pony has its native home in Connemara, an 
isolated locality on the extreme west side of Ireland. These 
ponies stand about 14 hands high, are usually bay, chestnut, or 
gray in color, and have a somewhat long and deep body, oblique 
shoulders, and freedom of movement. The coat of hair is remark- 
able for its length and thickness. A strong constitution, pleasant 
disposition, and power of endurance are noteworthy characteristics. 
The Connemara has been used in Ireland and England to some 
extent in polo playing, to which sport it seems well adapted. It 
is said a cross of Hackney pony stallions on Connemara mares 
makes a very smart, trappy, fast-moving harness pony. 

1 Ponies and All about Them (191 1), p. 219. 



PONIES 



173 



Hackney ponies are Hackneys I4| or less hands high with 
the general characteristics of the Hackney horse.. 

The Arab pony is simply an Arab under 14^ hands high and 
is discussed elsewhere as a separate breed. 

Indian ponies, mustangs, or bronchos are descendants of the 
horses brought to America by the early Spanish conquerors. 




Img. 67. Dilham Prime Minister (5174)7 At one time the most famous Hackney 
pony in America, noted as a prize winner and a sire. Imported and owned by 
the late Eben D. Jordan, Boston, Massachusetts. From photograph, by courtesy of 

Mr. Jordan 



They often possess much beauty of form and high-class heads 
and limbs. They have remarkable endurance and are capable of 
the severest work under the saddle. They vary somewhat in type, 
those owned by northern Indians not being the equal in quality 
and conformation of those of the south. Those of the Apache 
Indians are said greatly to resemble Exmoor ponies. Indian 
ponies are of all colors, usually solid, though piebalds occur. 
They tend to be ewe-necked, are often deficient in quarter, and 
have a remarkable spirit which is frequently far from amiable. 



174 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

Many of these ponies, with all their good qualities, are most 
uncertain of temper and may prove very irritating when least 
expected. Curtis makes the mustang and Indian pony of dif- 
ferent breeding, though they range the same in height (12 to 14 
hands), weigh much the same (600 to 850 pounds), and have 
much the same color. The Indian pony is given as more blocky 
than the mustang, the cannons are wider, and the pasterns 
more upright. 

The Polo pony is not a breed, but represents a type and size 
suitable to be used in playing polo. For this purpose anything 
possessing the necessary speed, activity, endurance, and intelli- 
gence will do. The maximum height allowed by the American 
Polo Association is 14!^ hands. Small Thoroughbreds, Western 
ponies, and cross, or half-breds, are popular. 



CHAPTER XX 

THE SHETLAND PONY 

The native home of the Shetland pony is on a group of rocky 
islands about 200 miles north of Scotland. These lie between 
59° and 61° north latitude, slightly to the east of north, and 
comprise a total of about 120 islands, with a total area of some 
550 square miles. Only about twenty-seven of these islands are 
inhabited. The principal island is Mainland, on which is located 
Lerwick, the largest town and port, with about 3700 inhabitants. 
Others of importance are Fetlar, Bressay, Fair Isle, Yell, and Unst. 
These islands are rough and barren as a rule and are situated 
in a turbulent sea, under unfavorable climatic conditions, where a 
comparatively low temperature prevails for much of the year. No 
trees or brush of significance grow on the islands, and what land 
is cultivated lies in the valleys. On the islands the ponies are fed 
grass and hay, not often receiving any grain, and it is said that 
sometimes they are even obliged to eat seaweed on account of 
shortage of hay. 

The ancestry of the Shetland pony is of course uncertain. The 
drawings of the prehistoric horse in the caves of France show 
considerable resemblance to the Shetland type, and it is supposed 
that they are descendants of this prehistoric form. How long they 
have been bred on the islands is not a matter of record, but they 
have been bred there for centuries. In their early history they are 
doubtless more or less related to the ponies of Iceland and 
Scandinavia and perhaps Wales and Ireland. 

The type of the Shetland pony is really that of a small draft 
horse, although many are seen that are fine of bone and slender 
of body, more after the trotting-horse type. However, the ponies 
on some of the Shetland Islands are of a different type from those 
on others. In fact, it is claimed that a different type is found on 
each of the following islands : Mainland, Unst, Fetlar, Fair Isle, 
and Bressay. For example, on Fetlar, Lady Nicholson, a Scotch 

'75 



1/6 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



breeder, has used Arab pony stallions on Shetland mares, pro- 
ducing a pony of considerable refinement about 46 to 48 inches 
high. These are known in the trade as Fetlar, or Lady Nicholson 
ponies. On Bressay, Iceland ponies have been crossed on Shet- 
lands. Visitors to the islands have seen work horses weighing 
from 1200 to 1500 pounds, some of which have been bred to 




Fig. OS. A pony mare in winter coat on one of the Shetland Islands. From 
photograph, by courtesy of John Anderson & Sons, Lerwick, Scotland 

Shetland stallions. Bearing on the subject of Shetland type, the 
following, by a well-known British authority,^ is of interest : 

At present, things are somewhat in a transition stage, which causes confu- 
sion in the minds of some people as to what is the correct type. When the 
show career of the Sheltic first commenced, the best paying demand was 
undoubtedly for the pits, and the aim was to get the biggest possible bulk as 
near the ground as possible, while symmetry and true action had to take a 
secondary place. Fortunately for the breed, however, the advent of the foreign 
demand has created a higher standard. Beauty of shape and smart, well carried 
head counts for more than it used to, and true, close and springy action is 
deemed essential. Occasionally, however, when a judge full of the old tradi- 
tions officiates, the prizes will go to ponies with huge bodies on abnormally 
short legs, suggestive of moles, and no doubt most valuable to drag a hutch in 
the low galleries of a coal mine, but absolutely unsuited for a child's saddle 

^ Frank T. Ikirton, Ponies and All about Them. London, 191 1. 



THE SHETLAND PONY 



177 



pony. At the very next show, perhaps, the opposite type gets the preference, 
which naturally creates confusion in the minds of those who are not fully con- 
versant with the show history of the breed. 

The characteristics of the Shetland pony are very marked in 
certain directions. The head of the Shetland should not be too 
fine ; the eye should be prominent ; the neck short and strong, 
with some crest in stallions ; the shoulders strong, well laid in, and 
not too heavy ; the breast prominent and full ; the body short in 
coupling, wide on the back, with considerable spring and depth of 
rib ; the croup broad, 
fairly level, and wide, 
with the tail set high ; 
the quarters full and 
strong ; the legs short 
and of superior bone, 
though perhaps ap- 
pearing heavy ; and 
the feet round, dark, 
and of excellent bone. 
The natural tendency 
is for the Shetland to 
be "cow hocked," 
thus giving an inferior 
placement of the hind 
legs. Narrow chests 
are also too common. 

The color of the Shetland pony is variable — black, bay, and brown 
being the more common. Gray, chestnut, roan, and piebald (that 
is, spotted) are seen, the latter, in fact, being somewhat frequent. 

The coat of hair of the Shetland pony is one of its striking 
features. In common with all animals originating in a cold, moist 
climate, the hair naturally tends to be thick and long. On the 
islands, as winter approaches, this may attain a length of three 
inches on the body, which causes the pony to present a very 
rough, hairy appearance. This furnishes important protection in 
winter, and in spring, as it sheds off, the pony presents a trimmer, 
neater appearance. In America many Shetlands have rough coats 
in winter, but the tendency is to show less hair than on the islands. 




Fig. 69. A Shetland pony, first in class at show of 

the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland. 

From photograph by the author 



178 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

The forelock, mane, and tail are also very thick and long. The 
policy of breeding for more refinement is reducing the amount 
of hair in a considerable degree. 

The height of the Shetland pony usually ranges from 36 to 
44 inches, but with variations outside of this. Eli Elliott of Iowa, 
who has bred and imported many from the islands, says : " I never 
saw in any country what I believed to be a ' right Shetland ' that 
was as much as 46 inches high. As a rule they are 40 to 43, 
and some as small as 36 to 38 inches, and the smaller the better." 
The smallest pony ever seen by Mr. Elliott was 34 inches high 
and weighed under 200 pounds. Feeding and care, however, will 
affect the height and weight. On the prairies of the American 
corn belt the pony tends to increase in size from generation to 
generation. In the "American Shetland Pony Studbook " a number 
of ponies ranging from 30 to 36 inches have been registered. 
The American Shetland Pony Club in its standard gives twenty- 
five out of a hundred points to height. Ponies over four years 
old should be 42 inches and under, and two points are deducted 
for every inch over this up to 46, above which height they are 
disqualified. Catherine Sinclair, in " Shetland and its Inhabitants," 
says that when well fed the ponies will reach the size of a donkey, 
and in contrast notes that a Mr. Hayes raised a perfectly formed 
pony only 20 inches high. As the Shetland is used to a consider- 
able extent in coal mines in England for hauling coal cars, a small 
pony is preferable to a large one. The weight of a good specimen 
of the breed may be about 350 pounds for one 40 inches high. 

The improvement of the Shetland pony was begun in 1873 by 
the Marquis of Londonderry of England, who then owned extensive 
coal mines. He purchased the island of Noss and part of Bressay 
and maintained studs there and at Seaham Harbor, on the north- 
east coast of England, The work of the Marquis of Londonderry 
resulted in greatly improving the uniformity of type and color, 
reducing size but increasing bone, without detriment to quality. 
On the death of the marquis some years ago the entire stock of 
Shetlands owned by him was sold. 

The use of the Shetland pony in America is essentially for 
children, rather than as a beast of burden. In Ohio, where these 
ponies are common, they are frequently seen hitched to pony carts, 



THE SHETLAND PONY 179 

phaetons, or small surreys, hauling two or four persons over the 
pavements with comparative ease. Ponies for this heavier work 
approximate forty-five inches or more in height. No breed equals 
the Shetland for children. The inherent gentleness of these ponies 
makes them safe to use with the greatest freedom. Even when 
but two years old, Shetlands may be used in a moderate way in 
the saddle by little children. 

The hardy nature of the Shetland is one of its conspicuous 
characteristics. There are many examples of these little ponies 
that have lived to a ripe old age. An interesting example of great 
longevity and breeding power is shown in the case of the Shetland 
mare Belle, owned on Woodburn Farm, Kentucky, that when 
thirty years old dropped a living foal. 

The value of the Shetland pony for draft purposes is much 
greater than most Americans realize. On the Shetland Islands 
he is used for labor, especially in hauling peat for fuel. Elliott 
states^ that the peat is packed in "cassies," each one containing 
not less than sixty or seventy pounds. Two of these are slung 
across the pony's back on a kind of packsaddle, a good deal the 
shape of a sawhorse, being held in position by a breast collar, 
girth or two, and breeching. The whole load weighs as much as a 
good-sized man, and this is often carried by the pony for several 
miles up and down hills, across marshes, over stony and washed 
paths and gullies, without a halt. He is never used in his native 
home in harness, but only to ride and pack such things as they 
may wish to move. In England these ponies have been exten- 
sively used in coal mines. Relative to this work of the Shetland, 
Robert Brydon says^ that it is not overstating the case to say 
that on an average these mine, or "pit," ponies, as they are called, 
will travel over three thousand miles in the course of a year 
and shift as many tons of coal. All this work is done in the dark 
galleries of the mine, which are scarcely higher than the pony. 

Notable Shetland pony sires are Trinket loi. Trinket Jr. 1187, 
Prince of Wales 1190, Bunn's Trinket 2598, Chestnut 3572, 
David Haram 4146, Grandee 4423, and King Larigo 8778. 
Prince of Wales is probably the greatest sire the breed has known 

1 American Shetland Club Book, Vol. I, 1893. 

2 Ponies and All about Them (191 1). 



l8o THE HORSE, ASS, AND UVLE 

in America. He proved very prepotent, and in 191 1 at the 
National Horse Show in Madison Square Garden, New York, in 
very strong competition, his get made the remarkable showing of 




Fig. 70. King Larigo 8778, a champion Shetland stallion at leading shows, a 
noted sire, and the highest-priced animal of the breed, selling for $10,000 to 
Hamilton F'arms, Gladstone, New Jersey. From photograph, by courtesy of 

Hamilton Farms 

the following winnings : first, second, and third stud pony ; first, 
second, and fourth mare pony ; first, second, and third single- 
harness pony; first, second, and third in pairs. From 1893 to 
1 90 1 Prince of Wales was the greatest show stallion of the breed 
in this country, while in recent years Grandee and King Larigo 
have attracted much attention as show animals and sires. 



THE SHETLAND PONY l8l 

The prices paid for Shetland ponies as a rule are very modest, 
although extremely high figures have been paid. One of the 
notable sales in Scotland is that at Earlshall in the East Neuk 
of Fife. In 191 2 there were sold 126 head for an average price 
of $/(), while in 191 3, 140 averaged $73. In the 191 3 sale a 
prominent breeder, R. W, R. McKenzie of Earlshall, sold 25 for 
an average of $90.50, his best mare. Duenna, bringing $220.50. 
At the same sale C. M, Douglass sold 27 head for the average 
of $74.50. At a sale of George Heyl of Illinois in 19 12, the top 
price for mares was $365 for the show mare Harum Sparkle, 
while a number of choice mares sold for $200 each. Choice 
stallions have sold for from $500 to $10,000, the latter price 
being paid in 19 17 to George A. Heyl for King Larigo by 
J. C. Brady of New Jersey. As a rule, whether for the stud or 
show, the smaller type of ponies command the highest prices. 

The distribution of the Shetland pony outside of the islands of 
its nativity is largely confined to Scotland, England, the United 
States, and Canada. Large numbers have been imported to the 
United States. In 1905 one importation of 201 head was made, 
and many have been brought to this country since. These ponies 
are largely distributed in the northern United States, with Ohio, 
Michigan, Illinois, and Iowa prominent breeding sections. Many 
of these ponies have been bred in Ohio, and in 19 13 what was 
claimed to be the largest Shetland stud " in the world " was in 
operation in Highland County, where 275 pure-breds were kept. 

Organizations for promoting Shetland ponies are well established. 
The headquarters of the Shetland Pony Studbook Society of 
Great Britain, founded in 1 890, are located at Aberdeen, Scotland, 
and their society has published a number of studbooks. The 
American Shetland Pony Club was organized in 1888 and up to 
19 1 7 had published fifteen studbooks. Each of these organiza- 
tions is actively engaged in promoting the breed and with sub- 
stantial success. 



CHAPTER XXI 

THE ASS 

The ancestry of the ass may be traced to the wild ass of Asia 
and Africa. The males are usually termed " jacks," and the females 
"' jennets." The following are the important species of the wild ass : 

The Asiatic Wild Ass or Kiang {liquus Jicinionns). It occurs in 
Asia, on extensive plains, from Syria through Persia, Afghanistan, 
the Punjab, and Tibet to the Chinese frontier. The general color 
is reddish gray, varying to fawn or pale chestnut. A dark-brown 
stripe, sometimes with a white edge, extends along the spine from 
the back of the head to the tail. As with the domestic ass, the 
ears are large, the tail is covered with short hair which increases 
in length to form a black brush, there is an erect mane, and no 
foretop. The middlepiece is short, and the thighs are full, as 
in the case of the horse. There are callosities on the fore legs 
but none on the hind. The height varies from ii to 12 hands. 
This ass is remarkable for speed and endurance. The voice is 
a shrieking bray. 

The Persian Wild Ass {Eq?i?is hemippiis) resembles the Asiatic 
ass in its general conformation, but is larger, and suggests the 
domestic ass. It is dun in color, with a white underline and 
brown dorsal stripe, 

The African Wild Ass {Eqinis asinus) is found wild in Abys- 
sinia, Nubia, and northeastern Africa between the Nile and the 
Red Sea. It is very similar to the domestic ass in color and 
markings, but has a distinct shoulder stripe extending from the 
withers to the arm of the fore leg. 

From the wild ass various breeds of the domestic ass have 
descended, ranging in size from those no larger than a New- 
foundland dog to that of a draft horse. There are several breeds 
of importance, from which we in America secure the jackass, or 
jack, for mating to mares, and these will be discussed after first 
briefly referring to the domestic type. 



THE ASS 



183 



The characteristics of the domestic ass include several features 
not possessed by the horse. The female is pregnant fully twelve 
months, the horse eleven. The fore legs have callosities (chest- 
nuts) while the hind legs have none. The ears are very large and 
long, the foretop and mane are usually very scanty, and the tail 
has no long hair excepting at its lower part, which has a brush. 
The body is often covered with long hair, in some cases showing 
remarkable length, while in other cases it is fairly short. Hayes 
calls attention to patches of thickened skin, which he terms the 
"shell," covering the croup and pelvis in the horse. In the 
case of the ass, this 
skin extends all over 
the ribs ; consequently 
this animal is not as 
sensitive to blows as 
is the horse. The 
body is very compact, 
the quarters lacking 
deep muscling, while 
the legs are very 
strong of bone, often 
heavy of joint, with 
small, narrow feet. 
The ass makes a 
peculiar noise called 
a bray. 

The Andalusian jack is native to Andalusia, in southern Spain, 
where it is an ancient breed. The color is gray, with rare cases 
of black. This breed has considerable size and stands I3j to 15 
hands high. The bone is excellent, and the breed possesses much 
substance. H. W. Sessions refers to one 15] hands high having 
a girth of 6"] inches with the bone below the knee measuring 
8| inches around. The head and neck are said to be very good. 
This breed and color have never been popular in the United States, 
although well scattered over the country. 

The Catalonian jack is a Spanish breed from Catalonia, in 
extreme northeastern Spain, a very mountainous region bordering 
on France. This is a black or brown breed with light points, 




Fig. 71. A Poitou jack with the characteristic coat 

of hair. This was a prize winner at the Paris Horse 

Show. From a French photograph 



1 84 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

black largely prevailing. The coat of hair tends to be thick and 
short. This breed stands from 14 to 15 and occasionally 16 hands 
high. From the standpoint of critics of this class of animals 
the Catalonian possesses unusual style, beauty, and action. The 
head shows considerable character, and the ears are rarely droopy. 
While the bone is not so large as the Andalusian or Poitou, it is 
very superior in texture and free of flesh, so that it is not objec- 
tionable. The Catalonian is a wiry, tough type that matures 
early and has very superior style and action. This breed has 
been largely used as foundation stock for producing mules in 
Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri, where it is yet in great 
favor. H. W. Sessions states that the produce of these jacks from 
16 to 17 hands high, as seen in Missouri, Kansas, and the eastern 
United States, have much weight and substance and make the 
best mules in the world. They are quick, active, mature early, 
and are good sellers. 

The Majorca jack is a breed of more recent introduction to 
America from Majorca, one of the Balearic Islands in the Medi- 
terranean Sea off the coast of Spain. This is a large sort of drafty 
type with heavy bone, averaging 1 5 1 hands high, standing some- 
what higher than the Catalonian. The head and ears are said 
to be conspicuously large, the latter being longer than those of 
any other breed and poorly carried. There is a lack of style and 
action with the Majorca, the tendency being toward sluggishness. 
The breed has not attained popularity in America, and but few 
have been brought here. It has, however, met with considerable 
favor in Spain for producing artillery mules, and many of the 
jacks have been exported to South America. In its native home 
it has long been bred with much purity. 

The Maltese jack comes from the island of Malta in the 
Mediterranean Sea. This breed is either black or brown in color 
and is of the smaller type, frequently standing at 13 hands and 
rarely exceeding 14I. The head is of excellent form, with sharp, 
upright ears. The Maltese possesses much life and vigor, but is ob- 
jected to on account of too fine a bone, undue refinement, and lack 
of substance. A larger type is in demand in the American trade, 
which restricts the importation of this breed. Maltese jacks were 
brought to America as early as 1788, the pioneers of their kind. 



THE ASS 185 

The Poitou jack is a native of France, where for many centu- 
ries he has been bred, especially in the province of Poitou, border- 
ing on the Bay of Biscay. Here, in the departments of Vendee 
and Deux-Sevres, the Poitou ass is bred in his greatest perfection. 
This is the most powerful and drafty of the several breeds of 
asses and averages about 1 5 ^ hands high, but frequently exceeds 
this height. In general the Poitou may be described as having 
an unusually big head, with large, long ears ; small mouth and 
nostrils ; thick, short neck ; broad chest ; good-sized, long body ; 
quarters rather spare ; forearm long but not thick, but knees and 
joints large ; hocks as big as those of a heavy draft horse ; bone 
large, many measuring nine inches around below the knee, but 
legs very short and superior ; feet large. The prevailing color is 
black with light points. Grays occur occasionally but are not 
regarded with favor and are not eligible to registry in the French 
jack studbook. JVTuch is said about the hairy development of the 
Poitou jack. He is covered with a profuse growth of long, silky 
hair, which adorns the ears, neck, and legs. The tail, which is 
rather short, is quite devoid of hair excepting at its lower part. 
In his native home, when in service, the Poitou jack is said to be 
a very unattractive beast, for he is never groomed or trimmed. 
In Poitou these jacks are bred to a very large, drafty, powerful 
type of mare, native to that region, from which are produced big 
mules of the most valuable kind. Thus far jacks of this breed 
have not been brought to America to any great extent, but they 
are generally regarded with favor wherever introduced. 

The American jack is the result of the amalgamation of the 
blood of the different breeds brought to America from Europe 
since the days of Washington. Professors Anderson and Hooper 
of Kentucky have contributed much valuable information relative 
to the development and characteristics of this breed.^ Especial 
emphasis is placed on the early influences of the Maltese jack 
Warrior, owned by Henry Clay, and the Catalonian jack Mammoth, 
imported to South Carolina in 18 19 and soon after taken to 
Kentucky, where he was used in service for eight years .^ The 

iW. S. Anderson and J. J. Hooper, "American Jack Stock and Mule Pro- 
duction," BitUetin 212, Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station. 
^ A»iericaii Breeder, January 20, 191 6. 

R 



1 86 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



sons of the latter did much to estabhsh the breed. Briefly stated, 
the modern American jack stands about 15 1 hands high, is deep 
and roomy of body, comparatively short of leg, and shows plenty 
of bone and substance. " A sixteen-hands jack should approxi- 
mate 30 inches in depth of chest, 34 inches in length of foreleg, 
and should weigh 1000 to 11 50 pounds." Anderson and Hooper 
state that it is customary to refer first to the head and ears of 




Fig. 72. Andrew Jr. 217, first-prize two-year-old American jack, l-rom 
photograph by the author 



the jack because of their importance. The face line should be 
straight or slightly Roman ; the ears about 33 inches from tip to 
tip as spread level, and carried alert under natural conditions ; 
the poll narrow ; the jaw strong and heavily muscled ; and the 
neck full and free from any tendency to a ewe-neck conformation. 
The hind quarters should be long, level, and wide. The natural 
tendency is to be droopy and short of croup, rough in the hips, 
light of thigh, and crooked in the hocks — defects that should be 
guarded against. The American jack manifests considerable style, 
carries the head well, and shows plenty of vigor and nervous force. 



THE ASS 187 

The color of the jack has in recent years been subject to con- 
siderable discussion. Until comparatively recently black has been 
the standard color, with whitish or mealy shades on the underside 
of the body, between the forelegs and the thighs, and about the 
muzzle. Fancy animals, also, were often marked with mealy color 
around the eyes and under the throttle. The American Breeders' 
Association of Jacks and Jennets adopted the above for its stand- 
ard on color requirements. The Standard Jack and Jennet Regis- 
try of America, however, composed of a large number of breeders, 
admits jacks of any color to its books, provided other requirements 
are satisfactory. In support of other colors than black attention 
is called to the following facts. Jacks are generally used to sire 
nonbreeding animals. The market desires mules of good con- 
formation and bone irrespective of color. The first jacks imported 
to America were gray, and maltese. '" Off color " jacks produce 
just as many black offspring as some of the black sires. It is 
not wise to destroy a good jack because he happens to breed back 
to some former color, which is sure to happen with the mixed 
colors. It is interesting to note in reference to color that irregular 
marks on the coat, such as a " blaze " or " star" on the head, or 
"white stockings" on the legs, while common on the horse, are 
rare with the ass. Hayes says,^ " I believe I am correct in saying 
that the color of the ass is never of a bright bay, chestnut, red 
or blue roan, or nutmeg gray. I have seen mules of an iron-gray 
color, but have not observed it in the ass." 

The height of the jack will depend upon the breed and degree 
of maturity. In examining the records of a number of Catalonian 
jacks in the studbooks, the average height was 15 hands, while 
a number of Majorcas averaged 15! hands. Jennets showed 
about a half hand less. Tegetmeier and Sutherland give the 
height of the Poitou jack as 13^ to 15 hands, and the jennets 
at 13 to 14 hands. In 1877 Richardson describes the Poitou as 
standing i3| to 14I hands, while Sessions says they rarely exceed 
14^. If the jack is of good proportions, then I5| to 16 hands 
is looked upon with favor in the American jack, with the females 
standing about 14^^ hands. Referring to this matter of height 
Anderson and Hooper state that "it is better for a breeder to be 

^ Points of the Horse. 



i88 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



able to produce all his jacks I5| hands, which will sell at $500 
when mature, rather than to produce one I5|-hand jack worth 
$1500, and ten from i2,h to 14 hands, which will average not 
more than $175." A jack 15 hands, with a heart girth of 64 
inches, a cannon bone of 8 inches, and an ear of 32 inches, is 
worth $500 to a breeder. The rules of the American Breeders' 




V\v,. 73. An American jennet, second prize in class at Illinois State Fair. P'rom 
photograph by courtesy of Americaii Agriculturist 

Association of Jacks and Jennets allow 1 5 hands as the standard 
for imported jacks and jennets, the produce of unrecorded sire 
or dam. Native jacks, the produce of unrecorded sire or dam, 
should stand 15^ hands. The Standard Jack and Jennet Registry 
Association of America requires jacks to be at least 14 J- hands 
high and jennets 14 hands. 

The introduction of the jack to America dates back to 1788, 
The king of Spain sent George Washington a gray jack named 



THE ASS 189 

Royal Gift and two jennets, and General de Lafayette presented 
him with an importation from the island of Malta consisting of 
a black jack known as Knight of Malta and several jennets. In 
18 19 the jack Mammoth landed at South Carolina from Spain. 
Henry Clay of Kentucky in 1827 received from Malta a jennet 
named Calypso. Two years later Clay imported a Maltese jack 
named Achilles and later several others, one of which, named 
Warrior, became noted as a sire. One of the first imported jacks 
taken to Tennessee was imported about 1840 and was taken to 
Maury County by a Mr. Thomas. About 1867 or 1868 Messrs. 
A. C. Franklin and Tul Craig of Sumner County, Tennessee, 
imported some Catalonian jacks. About 1882 Mr. Lyle of Ken- 
tucky imported some Andalusians from near Seville, and the 
same year Leonard Brothers of Missouri made a similar impor- 
tation. Many importations from Spain, France, and the Balearic 
and ]\Ialta islands have been brought to America since 1884. 

Noted jacks in America are of record back to the days of 
Washington, as already indicated. The following are a number 
of animals especially distinguished as sires : 

Warrior, imported by Henry Clay of Kentucky about 1830, 
proved extremely prepotent and was recognized as the best jack 
of his time. " So remarkable was his power of transmission," says 
Colonel L S. Irvine of Kentucky,^ that I, or any other jack breeder, 
can, in a moment, tell if the pedigree of an animal runs back to 
imported Warrior." 

Mammoth was imported from Catalonia, Spain, in 18 19 and 
landed at Charleston, South Carolina. He was given this name 
on account of his large size. He was bought by J. I. Brockett 
of Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, and was used in the stud for eight 
years. His progeny fused especially well with the Clay stock 
and proved very valuable. Many pedigrees of to-day trace to 
this sire. 

Buena Vista, a son of Mammoth, was bred by Henry Leer 
of Bourbon County, Kentucky, and was sold in 1853 for ^3000 
to Major Blythe of Madison County, Kentucky. Anderson and 
Hooper consider this as the first great jack of potential breeding 
value produced in America. 

1 Bulletin 2J2, Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station. 



190 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



Governor Wood JJ was sired by Tip Top and was used in 
the stud of W, W. McElroy of Marion County, Kentucky. He 
was notable as a sire rather than as an individual, his sons com- 
manding high prices. 

Linicstojic Mammoth 2g8 was sired by Superior Mammoth 1 24 
and had for dam Lady Mackin 514. Limestone Mammoth was 
bred by L. M. Monsees of Missouri and has been regarded as one 




Fig. 74. A donkey and a load of peat in the public square, Kildare, Ireland. 
Height about 30 inches. From photograph by the author 



of the greatest jacks of record. He was exhibited for ten years 
without defeat and has been a great sire. His breeding traces 
back to imported Mammoth on the sire's side and Buena Vista 
on the dam's. He stood i5| hands and weighed 1150 pounds. 
High prices for jacks prevail to an extent not generally sup- 
posed. In France the Poitou ass brings a large figure, common 
ones selling close up to ^1000, and the better class from ^1500 
to $2000. At a Paris exposition one is reported selling at $3200. 
Buena Vista was sold in 1853 for $3000. Paragon 63, imported 
from Catalonia in 1886, was sold for $2000. This same year 
an importation of Catalonian jacks was made to Tennessee, from 



THE ASS 191 

which Jumbo 45 sold for $2000, Peacock for $1500, Boyd's 
Monarch for $1500, and the Douglas jack for $1150. From 
another importation the jack King James sold for $2000. In 
Kentucky numerous jacks have sold at prices ranging from $1000 
to $2500. The jack Moro Castle sold for $5000 to M. H. Mays 
of Maury County, Tennessee, the high price up to 191 8. At a 
notable sale of L. M. Monsees, Pettis County, Missouri, in 191 1, 
the jack Bearytone Mammoth 2466 brought $3030. The first 
five jacks in this sale averaged ^1927, the first ten $1666. The 
highest-priced jennet brought $1375, and five of these females 
averaged $1006. At a sale in 19 16 by Monsees and Sons the 
jack Belle Boy of the Grand Champions 10734 sold for $3750, 
while the jennet Belle of the Grand Champions II 10730 sold 
for $2600, the top price for a jennet. 

The distribution of jacks and jennets in America is widespread, 
especially in the states south of about 40° north latitude, 
Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee being noted for stock of 
this kind. Jacks, however, are being used in increasing numbers 
in the North. 

Associations for the promotion of jacks and jennets in America 
have their headquarters in Tennessee and Kansas City. The 
American Breeders' Association of Jacks and Jennets was 
organized as a stock company at Springfield, Illinois, in 1888. 
Thirteen volumes of studbooks have been issued up to 19 17. 
The office of this association has been in Tennessee since its 
founding. In 1908 there was organized at Kansas City the Stand- 
ard Jack and Jennet Registry of America. This is now a strong 
and prosperous association and has published three volumes of 
studbooks up to 19 19. Up to October 6, 191 9, this association 
had recorded 18,215 jacks and jennets. There is also an associa- 
tion in France for registration of the Poitou jack. 



CHAPTER XXII 

THE MULE 

The mule is a hybrid, having for sire a jackass, commonly 
termed a jack, and a mare for dam. If a stallion be bred to a 
female ass, known as a jennet or jenny, the result is the hybrid 
known as a hinny. The latter cross has a tendency to produce an 
offspring inferior to the mule in size and draft character. 

However, mules occupy a most important place in the economy 
of farm work and in many phases of business requiring limited 
draft power. The importance of this hybrid is shown in a measure, 
when we learn that according to the estimates of the United States 
Department of Agriculture on January i, 19 19, there were 
4,925,000 mules in this country. 

The sterility of the mule has always been regarded as an abso- 
lute fact, and the word " mule," as applied to quadruped or bird, 
indicates a nonbreeder. However, a number of cases have been 
reported of mare mules dropping foals. Years ago the author 
had a photograph of a mare mule and foal sent him by the late 
George A. Brown of Australia, in which the evidence as submitted 
by him indicated this to be a fertile mule. Occasional statements 
are made giving information of mules that are supposed to have 
reproduced. In an interesting study of this subject^ Orren Lloyd- 
Jones shows that from a physiological point of view reproduction 
with the mule is impossible, owing to " a deep-seated derangement 
of the cell divisions which would, in normal, fertile animals, give 
rise to the fully developed germ cells." 

The sex of the mule has a bearing on its salability. Mare 
mules are preferred by buyers, feeders, and dealers generally, 
and sell more easily than horse mules. The females assume a 
matured form at an earlier age and fatten best for the market. 
The horse or male mules have a more angular and leggy form 
and cannot be fattened so early as the mares. One dealer in 

1 " Mules that Breed," Journal of Ifereditv, November, 1916. Vol. VII, p. 11. 

192 



THE MULE 



193 



mules tells the author that horse mules in pasture with other 
stock will worry them, when mares would not. 

The mule in history has been known for centuries. No doubt 
it has been used extensively in Europe since long before the 
Christian Era. In the days of ancient Rome and Greece mules 
served various purposes. Homer, who wrote more than eight 
hundred years B.C., and Varro, the best authority on ancient 




Fig. 75- a mule and foal. From a photograph sent the author by the late 
George A. Brown, Australia 



agriculture, the author of " De Re Rustica," who wrote in the 
first century li.c, both refer to the mule in their writings. 

The geographical distribution of the mule is world-wide. It is 
bred in the best degree in Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, and the 
United States and South America. Great Britain has never 
looked with favor on the mule. Sessions has written as follows in 
The Live Stock Journal (London) : 

The mule line extends north from the equator, and includes Africa and 
Europe up to 45 degrees of latitude and Asia and North America as far as 
35 degrees. On the south side of the equator we can include most of Africa, 
the northern half of Australia, and South America as far south as 35 degrees. 
Within this vast area hundreds of thousands [he might better have said millions] 
of mules are bred each year. 



194 THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 

Mule-raising in the United States began in colonial times. 
George Washington used a jack in stud at Mount Vernon for 
mule-breeding, and his mules sold for upwards of $200 each. 
The value of the mule as a draft animal was early recognized 
by intelligent Southerners. In 19 19 the leading mule-producing 
states, based on the United States Department of Agriculture 
estimates, were as follows : Texas, Missouri, Georgia, Mississippi, 
Arkansas, Alabama, Oklahoma, Kansas, Kentucky, and Tennes- 
see. Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee are noted for their 
superior class of mules ; St. Louis is the most important mule 
market in the world. 

The characteristics of the mule partake of both sire and dam. 
There is the long ear, slender body, tufted or slightly haired 
tail, small, slender foot, and braying voice of the ass. These 
features seem to attach a peculiar character to this nonbreeding 
farm animal. Mules vary greatly in size and quality, naturally, 
due to their parentage. Other things being equal, a large mule 
brings a higher price in the market than does a small one. Mules 
are sorted and classed for various purposes. The larger, heavier 
mules are used in city drayage and heavy draft work or in lumber 
camps. A medium size is used on farms and in military service, 
while the smaller grades find places in mines and elsewhere. 

The weight of the mule ranges between wide extremes, for the 
diminutive burro of the mountains and the heavy draft mule are 
of one great family. According to government estimates ^ the 
mature mules on farms in the United States average 956 pounds, 
the heaviest average weight (mo pounds) being reported from 
Washington State, and the lightest (865 pounds) from Mississippi. 
Anderson and Hooper ^ state that a draft mule of 1400 to 1500 
pounds will do the work of a draft horse that weighs two or 
three hundred pounds more, and that excepting for exhibition or 
advertising purposes the mule should not exceed 1500 pounds. 
Emphasis, however, is placed on the production of draft mules, 
small ones not commanding a price which pays for production. The 
wise breeder, in the opinion of these Kentucky authorities, will plan 
to breed mules of size and quality, averaging 1000 to i 500 pounds. 

1 Monthly Crop Report, February, 1918. 

2 Bulletin 212, Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station, December, 19 17. 



THE MULE 195 

The market classes of mules vary more or less, according to 
the region of country where the market is held. The leading 
American mule markets where classifications obtain are St, Louis, 
Chicago, Kansas City, Louisville, and New Orleans. Mr. R. C. 
Obrecht has given a classification ^ which comprises mining, 
cotton, sugar, farm, and draft mules. Mr. John Grant of the 
Kansas City yards states^ that the principal classes of mules 
known to the market are cotton, lumber, railroad, sugar, farm, 
levee, city, and miners. The author has arranged the following 
classification, reproduced here from another publication of his,'^ 
which will have a fairly general application. 

Plantation mules represent a certain class suited to farm work, 
especially in the South. They may be divided into two subclasses — 
sugar and cotton mules. These are the larger, better-class mules 
on the market. Sugar mules stand from 16 to 16I hands high 
and weigh from 1 100 to 1400 pounds. These are breedy looking, 
show quality and finish, and have strong bone. They especially 
show refinement of head and neck. Cotton mules stand from 
I3|- to 15^ hands high and w^eigh 900 to iioo pounds. They 
are not of such uniformly high quality as sugar mules, ranging 
from light to medium in bone, though they show smooth finish. 
They have small, neat heads and attractive conformation. Cotton 
mules are very common in the Southwest. Curtis says^ "this 
type of mule is of still lighter build than the surface mining 
mule. The body is inclined to be somewhat rang}% the bone 
small, and the body upstanding. The quality should be uniform 
and of about the same standard as that possessed by the mining 
mule, the difference being in favor of the latter." 

Draft mules are large, heavy-boned mules that carry more 
weight than any other class. They are often divided into two sub- 
classes, namely, lumber and railroad mules. The draft class of 
mule should be large, the body deep and closely coupled, the 
back short and strong, the croup not too drooping, the thighs 
and gaskins heavily muscled, the bone heavy, and the feet large. 

1 Market Classes and Grades of Horses and Mules, Bulletin 122, Illinois Agri- 
cultural Experiment Station, 1908. 

^ A^ational Stocknia?i and Farmer, October 12, 1905. 

^Judging Farm Animals (1916), Fig. 299, 590 pages. 

* The Fundamentals of Live Stock Judging and Selection, 1915. 



196 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



Mules for lumber camps stand as high and weigh as heavy as this 
class calls for, but do not show so much quality and style as do 
the railroad mules, which are slightly lighter than lumber mules. 
Mine mules are of two kinds, known as pitters and surface 
mules, and range from 11 to 15^ hands high and weigh from 
650 to 1225 pounds. They have deep compact bodies, heavy 
bone, short legs, and large feet. The smaller ones are used in 
hauling trucks in the mines, and the larger ones on the surface. 




Fig. 76. A choice pair of draft mules out of Percheron mares. From photograph, 
by courtesy of The Fat'tner 



Farm mules represent a class lacking somewhat in uniformity. 
They are used for agricultural purposes in the central states. 
Mules of this class resemble inferior plantation or draft mules, 
being plainer looking and thinner in flesh, though with good 
constitution, bone, and feet. 

The Poitou mule is of French breeding, the result of using the 
Poitou ass on a large type of French mares. There are two types 
of these mules bred in the Poitou region, a large and a small, 
but the larger type is in greater demand. The finest and largest 
cart mares are used for this production, the French farmers 
making a business of producing this grade of mule. Besides size. 



THE MULE 197 

Poitou mules are celebrated for the shortness and stoutness of 
their legs, with superior bone and unusually large and finely 
formed feet. 

The best type of mule must show the general excellent con- 
formation of the horse in symmetry of form. The body tends 
to be more cylindrical and smaller than in the horse, but a 
capacious body is desirable rather than otherwise, though paunchi- 
ness is objectionable. The nearer the general body conformation 
approaches that of the superior draft horse, the more completely 
will the mule suit the demands of the critical trade. In the 
show ring those mules which meet with marked favor possess 
the horse form in greatest degree. Legs of superior quality are 
fine and hard, the bone very smooth and dense, the tendons 
prominent, and the muscles well developed. The feet of the 
mule are smaller and longer than those of the horse, and the 
arch of the foot is greater. In general, the mule is distinguished 
for superior feet and legs. 

The temperament of the mule is quiet and patient, while for 
steadiness under the collar and hard pulling he has no equal in 
the equine world. However, the mule should show an active 
temperament, with sprightly carriage and style. It has been 
common to regard the mule as given to kicking, but this is not 
based on fact, for mules are no worse than horses in this respect. 
Horses are more nervous and uncertain in temperament than 
mules and are more subject to fright and consequent runaway. 

The color of the mule is variable, though black, brown, and 
bay are most common. Besides these, various shades of gray, 
white, sorrel or chestnut, and buckskin-yellow occur. On the 
Kansas City market in recent years, according to good authority, 
the highest-priced draft mule, everything being equal, is the steel 
gray, red sorrel ranking second, and black third. 

The endurance of the mule is remarkable. It is worked under 
the severest conditions and shows great power of resistance to 
fatigue. Tegetmeier quotes from a Texas correspondent : 

Six mules, the leaders no larger than ponies, will take 6000 to 7000 pounds 
anywhere, making fifteen to thirty miles a day according to the state of the 
roads, and I have known a team in summer driven fifty miles, with 1000 
pounds a head of load, to reach water, and not appear to suffer. 



198 



THE HORSE, ASS, AND MULE 



Mules usually live to a greater age than horses and perform 
their work with regularity and on less feed, a most important 
point in their favor. Cases are recorded of mules living to seventy 
years of age, and Mr. J. L. Jones refers to one in Tennessee that at 
thirty years of age was doing effective service attached to a reaper. 
Two Illinois men report ^ mules engaged in active draft work, in 
one case for thirty-four years and in the other for thirty-seven years. 
The resistance of the mule to disease has been a frequent sub- 
ject of discussion. It is commonly claimed that the mule is not 

so generally subject to 
disease as the horse. 
Pomeroy, in an essay 
on the mule, credits 
this animal with free- 
dom from any kind of 
disorder or complaint. 
In an investigation 
of "blind staggers" 
among horses in Vir- 
ginia and North Caro- 
lina, conducted under 
the direction of United 
States Secretary of 
Agriculture Coleman, 
mules were found 
quite exempt from this 
disease, although they 
are credited with other maladies. In regions in the lower Missis- 
sippi Valley infested with buffalo gnats, Professor F. M. Webster 
reports the mule as the animal most subject to fatality from 
attacks of this insect. Southern-bred mules, however, are far 
less susceptible to the bites of the gnats than those imported 
from northern localities. While the mule is not so subject to 
leg and foot diseases as is the horse, cases of spavin, ringbone, 
sidebone, and other troubles do occur. Corns are rarely found 
on the feet of the mule. Even when affected with foot or leg 
disease, without doubt this animal is, as a rule, less disabled 

^ Farmers^ Review, February 3, 19 17. 




Fig. 77. An Italian mule about 13 hands high. From 
a photograph taken in Italy by the author 



THE MULE 199 

from work than is the horse. The resistance of the mule to dis- 
ease and its activity, sureness of foot, dociHty, and easiness of 
keep have resulted in its finding much favor in the army service. 

The mule as a carriage or saddle animal is important in certain 
sections. In the Southern states he is thus used very commonly 
by negroes and the poorer classes of whites. In the Central West, 
in states bordering the Ohio River, one occasionally sees gentle- 
men driving mules, either singly or in pairs, in harness, attached 
to carriages, the animals trotting with commendable speed. 

The prices paid for mules vary, naturally, with the quality and 
character of the animals offered. However, the average farm 
price for mules is greater than for horses. On January i, 19 19, the 
average farm price for horses in the United States was $98.48, 
while for mules it was $135.59. Iri those markets where mules 
are important very high prices rule, and a pair of heavy, matched 
mules of superior quality and conformation sell easily for $500 and 
upwards. The Poitou mule in France, rated the best in Europe, 
sells at $200 to $300 a head and sometimes fetches $400. Large 
numbers of mules change hands at from $100 to $150 per head. 
In 1 9 10 a pair of mules in Maury County, Tennessee, weighing 
3150 pounds, sold for $1000 to go to Louisiana. In 191 3 
S. T. Harbison of Kentucky sold a closely matched pair weigh- 
ing 2850 pounds for $1000, to go to Tennessee. These were 
show mules of exceptional quality that had never been beaten in 
competition. 



PART II. CATTLE 
CHAPTER XXIII 

BEEF TYPE OF CATTLE 

The general appearance of the beef animal of correct type is 
compact and broad of back from shoulder points to hips ; it has 
a wide, deep body, short and somewhat thick neck, wide, deep, 
full bosom, broad, thick, fleshy hind quarters, and is generally 
broad and deep. Viewed from one side the top and bottom lines 
of body extend parallel, with the back quite level. From front 
or rear the outline should be rather full and broad. Cattle of 
this type are commonly referred to as "blocky," indicating com- 
pactness and squareness of form. If the body is inclined to be 
long, it may be termed "rangy," while animals long of leg and 
lacking in depth and fullness of body may be termed " leggy." 

The head should have a broad, strong muzzle, indicating 
superior grazing and feeding capacity. The nostrils, when some- 
what prominent and large, with a wide nose, give evidence of 
ample nasal capacity to supply the lungs with air. A Roman nose 
occasionally occurs with cattle, but it is neither attractive nor desir- 
able. The distance from the muzzle to a point immediately between 
the eyes is preferably short, with some curve, or " dish," as it is 
termed, just below the eyes, which should be wide apart, large, 
and indicate a gentle temperament. A quiet eye means an easy 
feeder, while a nervous, restless eye shows an animal unsatis- 
factory to handle and care for, T\\q forehead, as indicating mental 
capacity, should be broad and reasonably full. The. face and cheeks 
in a superior head are full and deep, connected with a rather 
broad, strong lower jaw. If of the horned type, the horns should 
not be coarse at the head, but should show plenty of fine texture 
and quality and be graceful and of harmonious proportions. An 
abundance of rather long hair should crown the poll, or top of 



202 CATTLE 

the head. It is most desirable that the car should be neatly 
attached to the head and that it should be of superior quality, 
neatly pointed, and covered with silky hair, with long hair at 
edges and tips. 

The neck of the beef animal tends to be short, thick, and mus- 
cular, of medium depth, and should be neatly attached to the head 
and smoothly blended with the shoulders. The bull at maturity 
shows a neck of more length, with heavier muscles, some arch, 
and a heavy coat of hair. The female will have a shorter, lighter 
neck, with less thickness and less depth. The steer should have 
a shorter, thicker, fuller, smoother-fleshed neck than the cow. 
When in perfect pose, with head up, the top line of the neck 
should be but slightly raised above the height of the withers. 

The shoulders should extend well into the back, lying smoothly 
covered with flesh and blending neatly with the body. A high type 
of shoulder is uniformly covered with flesh from shoulder point 
to top of withers. Rough, angular shoulders unevenly covered 
are among the most common defects of cattle. A prominent 
shoulder also emphasizes the development behind it. 

The breast and chest are most important. The former should 
be carried well forward and be broad and full in the bosom. As 
one stands and views a beef bull in show form a great breadth 
of breast and strength of brisket meets the eye. Sometimes the 
breast and chest have great depth, and the brisket comes within 
fifteen inches of the level of the foot. Viewed from one side it 
may curve forward like the prow of a ship. With the cow con- 
siderable bosom may show, but not in so great a degree and with 
less breadth and more feminine outline. The chest, which lies 
between the shoulders and just back of them, should be full at 
the crops, showing much spring of rib, and also well filled out 
in the front flanks. The most beautiful front on the beef animal 
— no matter whether bull, cow, or steer — is a smoothly laid, well- 
fleshed shoulder, with a strong arch of rib behind, leaving little 
or no depression. Much depression behind the shoulders or a 
narrow, contracted lower chest indicates lack of constitution. 

The fro7it legs should have a wide muscular attachment of arm 
at the shoulder, with plenty of room from armpit to armpit below 
the chest. Short, well-placed legs, coming straight down, viewed 



BEEF TYPE OF CATTLE 203 

from front or side, are essential. The toes will point nearly 
straight forward when the legs are correctly placed. Closeness 
of knees indicates a narrow chest. Fine bone and smooth joints 
point to superior quality. The front shank bone of a mature animal 
of the beef class should show refinement at its narrowest point. 
The back of beef cattle carries an immense weight, supported 
at fore and hind quarters. It should thus be very strong and 



Fig. 78. The Hereford bull March On VI and the heifer Bouquet. These show 

beef form in a pronounced degree, especially as viewed in front. From photograph, 

by courtesy of the A'atioiial Siock?iiaii and Fm-mer 

level to sustain this burden. As the highest-priced meats on 
the carcass are found in the back, it is important that the ribs 
be well arched, so that a broad back is provided to carry as much 
meat as possible, thus adding to the value of the animal. Great 
width is desirable from the point of the shoulders to the hips, 
and as viewed from front or rear along the back there should 
be much breadth covered uniformly with mellow flesh. Dimples 
or tucks in the back, rough spots, and uneven patches of fat 
detract from the value of this part. 

The 7ibs should not only be well sprung but be long and 
carried down to help make a capacious body. This goes with the 



204 CATTLE 

strong feeder and is also most essential with the breeding female. 
With bulls and steers a very close coupling between the hips 
and last ribs or all the ribs, in fact, is desired, but with cows for 
breeding purposes a greater length meets with favor. The depth 
at front and hind flank, with a thick, full feel at the latter, are 
associated with superior form and condition. 

The hips should be well placed, snugly laid, and, with finished 
steers, be well covered with flesh. A wide hip in the bull is 
undesirable, for such a feature may be transmitted and be a source 
of danger to the cow on birth of wide-hipped offspring. A greater 
width and more prominence of hip is allowable among the cows, 
although occasionally one sees the hip too wide and rough. 

The rump of a beef animal, no matter what the kind, should 
be long from hip to point of body, of great width, and com- 
paratively level. This not only promotes a maximum of flesh 
production but gives a more beautiful form and offers a con- 
formation better suited to the breeding female than does any other. 
A droopy, peaked rump is a defective conformation, obstructs 
easy calving, may reduce flesh capacity, and certainly detracts 
from beauty of form. With beef cattle in condition the rumps 
are sometimes rough about the tail head or at each side of the 
tail. Smoothness and fullness here indicate better fleshing qualities. 

The hind quarter, viewed from behind, should be quite thick, 
coming down perpendicularly on the outside to where the thigh 
naturally narrows. On the inside a thick, broad edge, with much 
depth from tail head to a full, well-turned twist, should be appar- 
ent. From one side the hind quarter will appear long and broad, 
with considerable depth of flesh to the rear. The whole will 
appear thick and smoothly covered with flesh. 

The hocks and legs indicate the capacity for fleshing at the 
hind end. If the hocks arc strong, muscular, clean, and well 
placed, with no special tendency to come together, they will be 
generally associated with thicker-fleshed quarters than otherwise. 
The legs should stand squarely under the animal, so that a plumb 
line dropped from the point of the thurls will bisect the hock and 
the shank bone of the leg below. Crooked hocks are bad, showing 
weak conformation and ugly form. When the hocks tend to 
come together at the points — a very common thing — the toes 



BEEF TYPE OF CATTLE 205 

point out. Only very rarely do the toes point in. The necessity 
for a graceful and straight position of the hind leg, smooth- 
ness of joint, shortness of leg, and fineness of bone is apparent. 
The udder of the beef cow is too frequently ignored. It should 
be of good size and shape, extending well up behind and in front 
along under the body, with four well-placed teats. Every beef 
cow should be able to furnish ample milk for her calf for the 




Fir,. 79. Rear side view of the Hereford bull Richard Fairfax 449317. showing 

extreme thickness, depth, and superior beef type. From photograph, by courtesy 

of Ferguson Brothers (the owners), Canby, Minnesota 

first eight months of lactation. It is not creditable to a beef cow 
to have an ill-shaped udder or to produce but little milk. 

The quality of the beef animal is shown in bone, skin, hair, ears, 
and horn. A coarse bone, with large rough joints, long legs, and 
heavy horns, indicates lack of quality. If the ears are large and 
coarse, with heavy attachment, there is also lack of quality. The 
most signal evidence of quality is in the hide, which should 
always be mellow and pliable, and in the hair, which should be 
silky and fine. In winter there are thick, fine hairs lying in great 
profusion next to the skin, with longer ones projecting beyond. 



2o6 CATTLE 

providing great protection from rough weather. As one views 
an animal with very distinct evidence of quaUty in the skin, 
there will be a glisten and finish to the coat and a roll to the 
hide which only goes with good quality. Taken in the hands, 
along over the ribs, the skin seems mellow and pliable to the 
touch, being easily grasped and stretched. A very thin hide is 
undesirable, the better sort having a moderate thickness, exceed- 
ing that of a dairy animal. 

The fleshing of beef cattle is very important. There should be 
uniformity of flesh all over the body, even though it be not a 
fattened animal. On highly fed ones> when in good condition, 
especially steers, the flesh should increase in thickness, but not 
lose its uniform distl'ibution over the frame. The palm of the 
hand pressed along the back, shoulder, or side should find no 
evidence of irregular covering, with bare spots in one place and 
heavy fleshing near by. Such condition indicates an undesirable 
type for feeding and killing. 



\ 



CHAPTER XXIV 

THE SHORTHORN 

The native home of the Shorthorn breed of cattle is in north- 
eastern England, in the counties of York, Durham, and Northum- 
berland. The North Sea borders this section on the east, with 
the Cheviot Hills of Scotland the boundary on the north. Wind- 
ing its way through a beautiful grazing country, the river Tees 
forms the dividing line between Durham on the north and York, 
the largest county in England, on the south. Here in the valley 
of the Tees the Shorthorn received its early development and 
improvement, from which it spread out over the rest of Great 
Britain and the civilized world. This valley country has beautiful 
long stretches of rolling grasslands and fields of grain and roots, 
but farther north in Northumberland and south in York the land 
becomes rougher and more hilly. 

The origin of the Shorthorn is veiled in obscurity. No doubt 
the early invaders of England — the Romans, Normans, and others 
— brought over cattle which crossed with the native English 
stock. It has been assumed that even prior to 1600 cattle of 
Shorthorn type were bred on the estates of the earls and dukes 
of Northumberland in Yorkshire.^ Black, horned cattle prevailed 
more or less in Yorkshire, while farther south, in Lincoln and 
vicinity, white, red, and other colors prevailed. Early in the eight- 
eenth century the Teeswater cattle represented one popular type, 
while in southeastern Yorkshire another sort, known as the Hol- 
derness, was developed. About the middle of this same century 
Michael Dobinson and Sir William St. Quintin brought over bulls 
from Holland and used these in their herds, owned in Durham 
and Yorkshire respectively. In 1 789 George Culley wrote ^ : 

^ The word " shire " in Great Britain signifies county and is often used as a 
part of the county name; as, for example, "Yorkshire." 
2 Observations on Live Stock. Dublin, 1789. 

207 



208 



CATTLE 



I remember a gentleman of the county of Durham (a Mr. Michael Dobin- 
son), who went in the early part of his life into Holland, in order to buy bulls ; 
and those he brought over, I have been told, did much service in improving 
the breed ; and this Mr. Dobinson, and neighbors even in my day, were noted 
for having the best breeds of Shorthorned cattle. 

Following these importations of Dobinson and St. Ouintin, 
came others of more inferior stock, such as really injured the 



THE OLD SHORTHORN COORTRY 



Gtrrft CiMj III* 




Fic. So. A map of the native home of the Shorthorn, showing the location of 

famous early herds. Reproduced from " Thomas Bates and the Kirklevington 

Shorthorns," by Cadwallader John Bates 

beef cattle of the country. By Culley's time, however, much of 
this evil effect, he writes, was overcome. Other improvers of the 
early Shorthorn were Sir James Pennyman, the Aislabies of Stud- 
ley Royal, the Blacketts of Newby, Millbank of Barningham, James 
Brown, Stephenson, Wetherell, Maynard, Snowdon, Waistell, and 
Richard and William Barker. 

The distinguished early improvers of the Shorthorn really 
date from about 1780 and include Charles and Robert Colling, 



THE SHORTHORN 



209 



Thomas Bates, Thomas Booth and his sons John and Richard, 
and Amos Cruickshank. There were many other prominent and 
successful breeders, but these men distinguished themselves as 
epoch makers, about whose careers clusters much of the best in 
Shorthorn history. 

The Colling brothers. These were Charles and Robert, Charles 
was born in 1750 and lived at Ketton, just north of Darlington in 
Durham ; Robert, born in 1 749, lived at Barmpton, about a mile 
from Ketton. Robert, a bachelor, died in 1820, and Charles died 




Fig. 81. Ketton Hall, the home of Charles Lolling, near Darlington, England. 
From photograph by the author 



in 1836, leaving a widow but no children. Charles is somewhat 
the more famous of the two brothers, although Robert was in 
fact quite his equal as a breeder. The Colling brothers have often 
been referred to as the founders of the Shorthorn breed, but 
this is not exactly the fact, although they were the first real con- 
structive breeders of these cattle. The Collings sought to produce 
better feeders, to have their cattle mature early, with more con- 
stitution than the usual sort, and to dress out with less offal. 
The great superiority of the cattle at Ketton has been attrib- 
uted to their remarkable fattening tendency and to their superior 
handling quality. These brothers developed two very famous 
herds which had a great influence in improving the breed. At 



2IO CATTLE 

the dispersal sale at Ketton in 1810 the 47 animals sold brought 
an average of $750 a head. The herd of Robert was sold in two 
consignments — the first, in 1818, of 61 head averaging about 
$650; and the second, in 1820, of 47 head averaging about $250. 
Colling tribes of Shorthorns of distinction were the following : 

The Lady Maynard tribe. In 1875 Charles Colling visited John 
Maynard at Eryholme and purchased a cow and heifer calf. The 
cow was Old Favorite, but named by him Lady Maynard. The 
calf Young Strawberry became the dam of a bull calf named 
Bolingbroke (86), which was in time bred to Phoenix, a daughter 
of Lady Maynard and sired by Foljambe {26;^), which resulted in 
1793 in the bull Favorite (252), one of the most noted Shorthorn 
bulls in history. Young Phoenix, a daughter of Phoenix, bred to 
her sire, Favorite (252), produced Comet (155), which brought 
$5000, the top price at the Charles Colling sale and the record 
price for a bull up to that time. The Lady Maynard tribe is also 
known as the Phoenix tribe. Sixteen of this tribe in Colling's 
sale, including Comet (155), averaged about ^iioo. 

The Princess tribe is one of the oldest and best and is de- 
scended from a cow named Old Haughton, by Hubback (319), 
and a direct descendant from a cow bred at Ketton in 1739 by 
Mr. Stephenson, who was tenant there before Charles Colling. 
The bull Hubback is regarded by some as the foundation sire of 
the breed. He was calved in 1777 and was a yellowish red with 
some white. He was sired by Snowdon's Bull (612) and was a 
direct descendant of the Studley Bull (626), calved in 1737, and 
one of the first-known Shorthorn sires. The dam of Hubback 
was a cow of Stephenson breeding. Hubback was owned by 
various persons, but his fame is chiefly due to his services when 
owned by Robert Colling and later by Charles, who paid his 
brother and Mr. Waistell about $40 for him. He was used for two 
years by Colling, who then sold him in 1785 to a Mr. Hubback 
in Northumberland, from whom he got his name. Hubback sired 
some very fine heifers at Ketton, one of which, Old Haughton 
(already referred to), bred to Richard Barker's Bull (52), produced 
the calf Foljambe (263), which became a noted sire. The bull 
Belvedere, bred by Charles Colling, used by Thomas Bates was of 
this Princess tribe. 



THE SHORTHORN 211 

The Cherry tribe began with a cow named Old Cherry, by 
the Lame Bull (358) at Ketton. A daughter of Old Cherry, 
by Favorite (252), proved a valuable dam. There has been some 
difference of opinion among early breeders as to the real merit 
of this tribe. 

The Duchess tribe descends from old Shorthorn breeding on 
the estate of the Duke of Northumberland. In 1784 Charles 
Colling bought what was known as the Stanwick cow, sired by 
James Brown's Red Bull (97). She was bred to Hubback (319), 
from which came a daughter, and this latter, bred to Favorite 
(252), dropped a daughter, which in turn was bred to Daisy Bull 
(186), resulting in another heifer, named Duchess, calved in 1800. 
She was the foundress of the tribe later to become world-wide 
famous in the hands of Thomas Bates. 

The Daisy tribe is descended from Old Daisy, a granddaughter 
of Old Haughton and sired by Favorite (252), This is closely 
related to Duchess breeding and is a Ketton tribe. 

The Red Rose tribe was of Robert Colling breeding and is 
descended from a cow sired by Favorite (252), that was taken to 
America soon after 1801 by a man named Hustler. He later 
returned to England with this cow ; hence she became known as 
the " American Cow." Bred to the bull Yarbrough she became 
the dam of a calf named Red Rose ist, which later, in the posses- 
sion of Thomas Bates, was the foundress of the Red Rose tribe. 
The bull Pilot (496), a noted Booth sire, was of this tribe. The 
Cambridge Rose tribe is an offshoot from this. 

The Lady tribe was bred by Charles Colling from alloy blood. 
A polled red Galloway cow, bred to Bolingbroke (86), dropped a 
bull calf in 1792 which became known as Son of Bolingbroke. 
He was bred to an old Shorthorn cow, Johanna, from which came 
a bull calf in 1794 known as Grandson of Bolingbroke (280). 
This last bull, bred to Phoenix, dam of Favorite (252), produced 
a heifer calf named Lady, the foundress of the tribe. Lady 
produced several sons and daughters of merit, notably the cows 
Countess and Laura. This " alloy cross " in early days caused 
much controversy among Shorthorn breeders. However, at the 
dispersal sale of Colling in 18 10 some of the highest prices paid 
were for animals of this tribe. 



212 CATTLE 

Thomas Bates was born in Northumberland in 1775 and died 
at his Kirklevington estate near Yarm, in Yorkshire, in 1849. 
He early became acquainted with the prominent breeders of his 
time, notably the Colling brothers, and began the systematic 
development of a class of cattle having superior dairy as well as 
beef qualities. He was a careful investigator, keeping detailed 
records of the relationship of food consumed to beef and milk 
production. His cattle had much quality, were rather large for 
the breed, and possessed great dairy capacity, but were somewhat 
criticized for lack of constitution and breeding capacity. Bates 




Fig. i>2. A rear view of the house and part of the stable at Kirklevington, the 
residence of Thomas Bates, near Yarm, England. From photograph by the author 

was a man of very strong convictions, extremely egotistical, and 
did not make friends among the breeders. He was an educated 
man, having attended Edinburgh University, and was an unusual 
student for his time. He may rightly be termed one of the world's 
greatest breeders. Bates died a bachelor, and with his death, in 
1849, came the dispersal of his herd of sixty-eight animals at 
an average price of about $335 per head. The following are 
the more important tribes developed by Bates : 

The Duchess tribe of Bates was descended from the Duchess 
cow, by Daisy Bull (186), that was calved in 1800 and bred by 
Colling. A daughter of Duchess owned by Charles Colling, bred 
to Comet (155), in 1808 dropped a heifer calf which became 
known as Duchess I or Young Duchess, which Bates purchased 



THE SHORTHORN 213 

at the Colling sale in 18 10 for 183 guineas. Duchess I, the 
foundress of this Bates tribe, was a notable cow and the dam of 
Duchesses II, III, IV, V, and the bull Cleveland (146). This 
was the most celebrated tribe of Bates and the one in which he 
centered his deepest interests. Duchess 34th, by Belvedere (1706), 
perhaps his most noted cow, was bred to her sire, from which 
came the famous Duke of Northumberland (1940), regarded by 
Bates as his greatest achievement as a breeder. At the Bates 
dispersal sale fourteen cattle of this tribe averaged about $S7S 
a head. 

The Oxford tribe. Bates purchased of James Brown a cow 
known as the Matchem Cow, sired by Matchem (2281). At the 
first Royal Agricultural Society Show of England at Oxford her 
daughter was the first prize in class and was given the name 
" Oxford Premium Cow." The Oxfords, however, all trace to her 
half sister, Oxford 2d, by Short Tail (2621), a son of Belvedere 
(1706). This was a favorite family of Bates's. At his dispersal 
sale thirteen Oxfords averaged about $340 each. 

The Waterloo tribe, descended from a cow known as the Water- 
loo Cow, was bought by Bates in 183 1. She was sired by a bull 
named Waterloo (2816) and was out of a cow by this same sire. 
Otherwise little is known of the ancestry of this tribe. Two 
daughters of the Waterloo Cow — Waterloo 2d, by Belvedere, and 
Waterloo 3d, by Norfolk (2377) — proved excellent breeders at 
Kirklevington. Six Waterloos in Bates's sale averaged nearly 
;^300 each. The only cows secured by Scotch buyers at the 
Bates dispersal sale were Waterloo 12th and 13th, bought by 
Amos Cruickshank and W. Hay, 

The Cambridge Rose tribe was a direct descendant from the 
Red Rose tribe of Robert Colling, In 1823 Bates had a Red 
Rose cow drop a bull calf which he named Second Hubback 
(1423). This bull he used freely on his Duchess cows, producing 
excellent results. In 1840, with a heifer of this family, he won 
high honors at the Royal Agricultural Society Show at Cambridge, 
which resulted in his naming her Cambridge Rose, the foundress 
of a new tribe. The noted cow Rose of Sharon, imported in 
1834 from England by the Ohio Importing Company, was of 
this tribe. 



214 



CATTLE 



The Wild Eyes tribe descends from a cow known as Wildair, 
by Emperor (1975), purchased as a calf by Bates at J. W. Par- 
rington's sale in 1832. Bates claimed that this tribe brought 
into his herd the only good blood that he obtained outside of 
the Colling herds. 

The Foggathorpe tribe descends from a cow of that name calved 
in 1830 and bought by Bates from her breeder, Mr, Edwards, 
when she was ten years old. She proved an unusually good 





'■0h ^^^ 




Fig. 83. One corner of the stable at Killerby, the home of Thomas Booth in 
Yorkshire. From photograph by the author 



breeding cow and dropped calves that later became famous. This 
was an excellent tribe. Bates, it is said, was suspicious that Fogga- 
thorpe was of the Princess tribe. 

The Booth family became prominent in Shorthorn history with 
the establishment of a herd by Thomas Booth at Killerby some 
time prior to 1790. He was then farming Warlaby and Killerby, 
but his Shorthorn breeding began at the latter place. He is said 
to have bought good Teeswater cows and used Colling bulls on 
them. Booth had two sons, John and Richard, who took up the 
work where he left off. John lived at Killerby, where he died in 



THE SHORTHORN 215 

1857, aged seventy years. Richard at first lived at Studley, near 
Killerby, but later moved to Warlaby, where he died in 1864, 
aged seventy-six. These two men had a very great influence on 
Shorthorn history and really developed the breed along lines 
adopted by the Colling brothers. The herd of John Booth was 
sold at auction in 1852, while that of Richard was inherited by 
his nephew, Thomas C. Booth, who died in 1878, A brother of 
the latter, J. B. Booth, engaged in breeding at Killerby, where he 
died in 1886. In 1898 the herd at Warlaby came into the posses- 
sion of Richard Booth, son of Thomas C. Booth, who has not 
played a prominent part in British Shorthorn activities. Short- 
horns, however, have been bred in the Booth family for three 
generations, covering a period of considerably over one hundred 
years. The Booth cattle were rougher and apparently more robust 
than those of Bates type and met with much favor. The Booths 
sought to produce thick-fleshed, easy-feeding animals with plenty 
of quality and strong constitution. They did not have the dis- 
tinction for milk production notable with Bates's animals. Booth 
cattle have long been popular in Ireland, where since early days 
Shorthorns have been prime favorites. Among the important 
Booth tribes are the following : 

The Anna tribe, descended from a cow named Anna, by Pilot 
(496), calved in 1820, is one of the oldest Booth families. The cow 
Bright Eyes, calved in 1808, produced two daughters, Ariadne, by 
Albion (14), and Agnes. Anna was a daughter of Ariadne, one 
of the great early-day dams. Anna was bred at Studley and was 
not only a famous dam but a great show cow. In its time this 
was one of the more popular Booth tribes. 

The Isabella tribe had for foundress a cow by that name, calved 
in 1820, and a half sister of Anna, being sired by Pilot (496). 
Isabella was a very beautiful cow, being knovni as the " match- 
less Isabella," and she proved a remarkable breeder, dropping 
nine calves, six being heifers. A son, Isaac, proved a valuable 
sire, and her daughter Isabella Buckingham was a Royal winner. 
Carr, in his histor)' of the Booth cattle, states that " Isabella and 
her descendants brought the massive yet exquisitely molded fore 
quarters into the herd, and also the straight underline of the 
belly, for which the Warlaby animals are so remarkable." 



2l6 



CATTLE 



The Halnaby, or Strawberry, tribe began with a cow named 
Halnaby, by Lame Bull (359), bought by Mr. Booth about 1797 
on Darlington market. Bred to Albion (14), a son of Comet (155), 
she produced Young Albion (15), a most valuable Booth sire 
and the first of the Booth bulls let out for hire. Rockingham 
(2551) and Priam (2452), well-known sires, are of this tribe. 
Priam was sire of Necklace and Bracelet, the most famous 
Shorthorn twins of history, of which more is said below. 




Fig. 84. I^ady Fragrant, calved in 1863. In the herd of Thomas C. Booth, she 

was for years the leading prize-winning Shorthorn female in England. From 

an engraving by E. Hacker, published in London in 1868 



The Bracelet tribe is descended from the cow Countess, by 
Albion (14). In fact this is also known as the Countess tribe. 
Four generations from Countess came the cow Vestal, owned by 
John Booth, by the epoch-making Booth sire. Pilot (496). A 
daughter of Vestal named Toy, sired by Argus (759), bred to 
Priam (2452), became the dam of the twin heifers Bracelet and 
Necklace to which reference is above made. These twins proved 
to be not only the greatest show Shorthorns between 1842 and 
1846, but each became a great dam. Bracelet was the dam of 
several animals of unusual merit. Her son Buckingham (3239), 
by Musselman (4525), proved to be one of the famous bulls of 
his time, siring many noteworthy females. 



THE SHORTHORN 217 

The Moss Rose tribe of Booth was descended from a cow 
named Dairymaid, by Pilot (496), said to have come " from a 
good stock in the village of Scorton, not far from Killerby." 
Though this tribe was developed at Warlaby, it should not be 
confused with one of the same name founded at Killerby and of 
less importance. From Dairymaid was descended Moss Rose, 
by Priam {2452), and from this line comes Vivandiere, by Buck- 
ingham (3239), one of the very best breeding Shorthorn cows 
of Booth ancestr)''. Vivandiere had ten calves, seven of which 
were prize winners — one, Campfollower, being regarded as one 
of the greatest of Warlaby-bred matrons. 

The Fairholm, or Blossom, tribe had its origin in a purchase 
by Thomas Booth of five heifers from a Mr. Broader of Fairholm. 
From these heifers came three branches, of which the Blossom 
is most conspicuous. From it are descended the well-known 
Warlaby-bred animals Plum Blossom, Nectarine Blossom, Venus 
Victrix, Baron Warlaby (7813), and Windsor (14013). 

Less prominent early English Shorthorn breeders besides the 
above were Christopher Mason of Chilton ; Jonas Whittaker of 
Otley, near Leeds ; William Wetherell of Aldborough, near 
Darlington ; Sir Charles Knighley of Fawsley Park, Daventry ; 
Colonel Towneley of Towneley ; and William Torr of Riby 
and Aylesby. 

The development of the Shorthorn in Scotland first took root 
in the border country, among the north foothills of the Cheviots. 
Here Robertson of Ladykirk, near the town of Coldstream on 
the banks of the Tweed, was the first Scotchman to engage in 
breeding Shorthorns. This was early in the nineteenth century. 
Robertson bred some excellent cattle, but was very independent 
and would not register them in the Coates herdbook. John 
Rennie of Phantassie about 18 18 or 18 19 bought of Robertson 
and of English breeders and established a herd still farther 
north, easterly from Edinburgh, near the town of Haddington. 
Rennie became a noted Shorthorn breeder and produced a type 
of profitable cattle which, like Robertson, he refused to register 
in the English book. The first person to i'ntroduce the Short- 
horn into north Scotland was Captain Barclay, who lived on the 
estate of Ury near the seaport of Stonehaven, a few miles south 



2I8 



CATTLE 



of Aberdeen. His first Shorthorn purchase was made in 1829 
at the sale of Mason at Chilton, when he bought two females, 
one of which. Lady Sarah, proved a great producer. Barclay bred 
many noted animals, among which was The Pacha (7612), the 
sire of some of the most distinguished cattle of the breed. In 
1838 Barclay had a dispersal sale, but in 1840 he established 
another herd. At Ury a class of cattle of great scale and sub- 
stance was developed. Following these early, constructive Scotch 
breeders were Grant Duff of Eden, Hay of Shethin, the Cruick- 
shanks of Sittyton, Marr of Uppermill, and others who did much 

to give fame to the Short- 
horn breed. 

Amos Cruickshank was 
born in Aberdeen in north- 
eastern Scotland, in 1808, 
and died in 1895 at 
Sittyton, Aberdeenshire. 
In partnership with his 
brother Anthony, who was 
a merchant in the city of 
Aberdeen, Amos took pos- 
session in 1837 of a some- 
what rolling farm where 
roots, the small grains, 
and grass were produced. 
Here Cruickshank began his long career as one of the world's 
great constructive breeders, and, as so well expressed by Sanders,^ 
in "a rough, broken country, possessing but limited areas of 
good soil, wanting in natural shelter, swept for a good portion 
of the year by the chill east winds of the North Sea, and en- 
during the long, dark winters of latitude 58° N." Here Cruick- 
shank began to select and buy Shorthorns from various sources, 
choosing animals that possessed plenty of vigor and rapid 
flesh-producing qualities, and that were distinctively of the beef- 
producing type. He was not influenced by pedigree fads, and 
purchased on a very independent basis. Again quoting Sanders^ : 

1 A. II. Sanders, Shorthorn Cattle, p. 550. Chicago, 1900. 

2 Ibid. p. 578. 




Fu;. 85. The farmhouse of William Duthie at 

Collynie, Tarves, Scotland. From photograph 

by the author 



THE SHORTHORN 219 

Vitality and feeding quality were with Amos Cruickshank considered para- 
mount. A broad, full chest, wide back, and deep ribs were his all-in-all. The 
head had attention only as it gave some token as to the vigor or probable 
capacity of the animal for feed lot or reproductive purposes. The rump carried 
cheap meat and was, in his view, of wholly secondary importance. Level quar- 
ters and fine fronts he fully appreciated, but if the "middle" was weak the 
fault with him was fatal. 

Cruickshank met with prime success, and to-day Scotch cattle, 
tracing back in an important degree to his breeding, are in great 
favor. Among the notable tribes established by him the following 
justify brief mention : 

The Brawith Bud tribe originated with a cow of that name in 
the herd of Grant Duff, which he bought in 1841 from Benjamin 
Wilson of Brawith, England. In 1854 Cruickshank bought from 
Duff a cow named Pure Gold, descended from Brawith Bud, 
so the name "' Pure Gold " is also given this tribe. Pure Gold lived 
to be the oldest cow at Sittyton, and her daughter Golden Days 
proved to be a remarkably fine breeder, being dam of three great 
bulls ; namely, Golden Rule, Pride of the Isles, and Lord of the 
Isles. This was one of the most successfully developed tribes at 
Sittyton, up to the final dispersion. 

The Broadhooks tribe descends from a cow named Eliza, by 
White Bull (5643), tracing back to the breeding of Robertson of 
Ladykirk. Several cows named Broadhooks are descended from 
Eliza, but the family was gone from the Cruickshank herd after 
1869. However, this tribe was promoted by Lord Lovat, and in 
his hands produced the noted bull New Year's Gift (57796), 
prominent in the Royal herd at Windsor and a most excellent sire. 

The Clipper tribe descends from the cow Clipper, by Billy 
(315 1), and traces back into the herd of Mason of Chilton. 
Her daughter Cressida, by John Bull (11618), bred to Czar 
(20947), dropped an excellent calf called Carmine, which later — 
to the service of Champion of England (17526) — became the 
dam of two fine females, Carmine Rose and Princess Royal. 
These were two of the best females bred by Cruickshank. The 
latter cow bred until she was fifteen and was dam of Roan 
Gauntlet (35284), next to Champion of England the greatest 
bull ever bred by the Master of Sittyton. 



220 



CATTLE 



The Lavender tribe was one of the later families established 
at Sittyton. In 1870 Mr. Cruickshank bought some Lavender 
cows from Mr. Butler of Badminton, England, and these traced 
back to the old Lenton blood of John Wilkinson. Lavender 




Fig. 86. Pride of Oakdale 496710, calved in 19 16, and many times champion. 

A fine example of Shorthorn character. Bred and owned by F. R. Edwards, Tiffin, 

Ohio. From photograph by Ilildebrand, by courtesy of Mr. Edwards 



i6th, by Lord Lansdowne (29128), and Lavender 17th, by Royal 
Duke of Gloster (20901), were the two outstanding females of 
this tribe in Cruickshank's hands. Count Lavender (60545), 
celebrated as a* sire in the herd of J. Deane Willis, was of this 
tribe, which has long been popular in America. 



THE SHORTHORN 221 

The Lovely tribe descends from the two cows Lovely 6th and 
Lovely 8th, each sired by Bosquet (14 183). These two descend 
from the cow Marion, by Anthony (1640), of English breeding, 
brought to Scotland by Hay of Shethin. Scotland's Pride (25 100), 
one of the great sires at Sittyton, was a son of Lovely 8th. 

The Mimulus tribe takes its name from a red cow, Mimulus, 
by Champion of England (17526). She traced back through 
several generations, it is supposed to stock of Robertson of 
Ladykirk, Mimulus was sold to John Dryden of Canada, but 
she left a son. Royal Duke of Gloster (29864) at Sittyton, that 
proved one of the great sires of the breed. Mimulus was also 
the dam of Barmpton Hero (58813), calved in the Dryden herd 
and one of the noted American-bred sires. This family did not 
have a large representation in the herd at Sittyton and finally 
disappeared entirely. 

The Nonpareil tribe descends from a cow named Nonpareil in 
the herd of Mr. Cartwright of Lincolnshire, England. In 1844 
Mr. Cruickshank purchased a cow called Nonpareil 3d, by Young 
Erederick (3836), and she became the Sittyton foundress of this 
tribe, producing some excellent progeny. This tribe seemed to 
run to bulls, and finally about 1864 it became nearly extinct. 
Later an effort was made to reestablish it in the herd, but with- 
out much success. 

The Orange Blossom, or Fancy, tribe had its start in a cow named 
Fancy, by Billy (3 151), bought in 1874 from John Hutcheson of 
Monyruy. A daughter of Eancy named Edith Eairfax, by Sir 
Thomas Fairfax (5 196), was an unusual producer, and from one of 
her daughters. Queen of Scotland, by Matadore (i 1800), came the 
original Orange Blossom. She was the dam of William of Orange 
(50694), perhaps the best-known sire in the herd of William Marr 
at Uppermill. The bull Gay Monarch (9241 1), owned by Rob- 
bins & Sons of Indiana, a successful show bull and sire, was by 
William of Orange. 

The Secret tribe at Sittyton secured its foothold there through 
the purchase in 1855 of the cow Sympathy, by Duke of Athol 
(10150). She dropped a heifer named Sunrise. From these two 
cows the Cruickshank Secrets descend. This was an excellent and 
prolific family. One of the best of the Secret cows is said to have 



222 



CATTLE 



been Surname, the dam of Scottish Archer (59833), prominent 
as a sire in the herd of WilHam Duthie at Collynie. 

The Spicy tribe derives its name from the cow Spicy 4th, pur- 
chased in 1868 from a Mr. Milne of Aberdeenshire. She had for 
dam a most excellent cow named Spicy, by Marmaduke (14897). 
Spicy 4th, bred to Champion of England, produced a very superior 
cow named Silvery. From this not large family came a number of 
high-class individuals, including the bulls Strongbow (52230) and 

Sea King (61769), the 
former having been 
used in service at Sit- 
tyton. The bull Spicy 
Robin (69638), in the 
herd of J . Deane Willis 
at Bapton Manor, Eng- 
land, was of this family. 
The Venus tribe de- 
scends from a red heifer 
of this name bought 
in 1 84 1 at the sale of 
Mr. Rennie in Forfar- 
shire. Venus was by 
Saturn (5089), bred by 
Mr. Simpson, and her 
dam, Dairymaid, traced 
back to the Ladykirk 
herd. From the cow Flora, by Fairfax Royal (6987), and her 
granddaughter. Morning Star, by Champion of England (17526), 
came some of the best representatives of the Venus tribe, which 
was in favor with Mr. Cruickshank to the last. 

The Victoria tribe secured its start at Sitt)ton in the purchase 
in Ireland, in 1853, by Anthony Cruickshank of the cow Victoria 
19th, by Lord John (11 731). She was sent to Mr. Hay's at 
Shethin and bred to the Booth bull Red Knight (11976), from 
which she dropped twin heifers, Victoria 29th and 30th. This 
original stock was somewhat delicate, and neither mother nor 
daughters bred well until mated to Champion of England. Vic- 
toria 39th, out of Victoria 19th, by this bull, proved a valuable 




Fig. 87. Maxwalton Kcnuvvn 3<->7 543, one of the 

leading Shorthorn sires in the herd of Carpenter 

and Ross, Mansfield, Ohio. This bull died in 1918. 

From photograph by the author 



THE SHORTHORN 223 

addition and was long used in the herd. Victoria 41st, by Lord 
Privy Seal (16444), and Victoria 57th, by Lord Lancaster 
{26666), gave distinction to the tribe, which was probably never 
in high favor with Amos Cruickshank, though much admired by 
his brother Anthony. This family has been popular in America, 
the bull Baron Victor (45944), out of Victoria 58th, in his day being 
famous as a sire in the herd of the late Colonel W. A. Harris 
of Kansas. 

The Violet tribe at Sittyton is based on a roan cow named 
Moss Rose, calved in 1837 but of uncertain pedigree. She was 
a valuable dam and in 1843 dropped a calf called Red Rose, 
by Inkhorn (6091). Red Rose was an extra good breeder, and 
from her came several calves, among which was Violet, by Lord 
Bathurst (13 173). Three of the daughters of Violet — Village 
Rose, by Champion of England, Sweet Violet, by Lord Stanley 
(16454), and Red Violet, by Allan (21772) — were of unusual 
excellence. This was a prolific family and was regarded with 
favor by Cruickshank. 

The Augusta tribe was established by the Bruces at Inver- 
quhomery, Aberdeenshire. It is said that about 1850 Mr. J. Bruce 
bought two cows at Pyrgo Park, Essex — -a Rosewood and an 
Augusta, the former costing $ 1 00 and the latter $ 1 60. A heifer 
calf of the Augusta cow was bought for $75. Sittyton bulls were 
used in the herd, Bruce and Cruickshank being special friends. 
The hiverquhomery herd was essentially built up from these two 
families up to the time of its dispersal in 1899. 

The Duchess of Gloster tribe descends from a cow named 
Chance bought by Cruickshank in 1855 from Mr. Robinson, 
Burton upon Trent. She was sired by a Bates bull, Duke of Gloster 
(11 382), and out of a cow named Chaplet. Sinclair states that 
Chance was of a delicate constitution, and her first heifers did 
not live long, producing but two or three calves each. Seventh 
Duchess of Gloster, by Lord Raglan (13244), proved to be an 
excellent breeder and had five calves to the service of Champion 
of England (17526) that made a good showing. A son of Ninth 
Duchess of Gloster, by Champion of England, was named Grand 
Duke of Gloster (26288). He died at two years of age from an 
accident, and his death was regarded as a serious loss to the 



224 CATTLE 

herd. Royal Duke of Gloster (29864) was considered one of 
the most valued bulls in service at Sittyton. This family has for 
many years been popular in both Canada and the United States. 

The first Shorthorns imported to America were brought to 
Virginia in 1783 by Gough and Miller, and though not called 
Shorthorns the evidence shows them to have been of this breed. 
These men also imported again about 1792. It is said that in 
1 79 1 and also in 1796 a Mr. Heaton brought Shorthorns to New 
York State. A Mr. Cox also brought a bull and two cows to 
Rensselaer County, New York, after the close of the War of 
18 12. In 18 17 the first pedigreed bulls. Marquis (408) and 
Moscow (9413), were brought to America, S. M. Hopkins import- 
ing them into the Genesee valley in New York. What are 
known as "The Seventeens " were imported in 18 17 by Colonel 
Lewis Sanders of Kentucky, and included four bulls and four 
heifers. One of the heifers died before reaching Kentucky, but the 
others — Mrs. Motte (the Durham Cow) and the Teeswater Cow — 
were the first to be imported west of the Alleghenies, and their 
descendants are known as "The Seventeens." In 1817 and 1818 
importations were made to Massachusetts; in 1821, 1822, and 
1823 importations were brought to New York State and from 
then on into various sections of the Eastern states. 

The Ohio Importing Company, organized at Chillicothe, Ohio, 
in 1833, with about fifty stockholders, became the most impor- 
tant factor in introducing Shorthorns to America up to this time. 
In 1834 Felix and Josiah Renick and E. J. Harness went to 
England, where they visited Bates, the Booths, Maynard, Clark, 
and other famous breeders and purchased nineteen head and 
brought them to Ohio. In this shipment were the heifers Rose 
of Sharon, by Belvedere (1706), bred by Thomas Bates, and 
Young Mary, by Jupiter (2170), bred by J. Clark. The history 
of these cows is inseparably associated with Shorthorn fame in 
America. Importations were also made in 1835 and 1836, and 
on October 29, 1836, occurred the most important Shorthorn 
auction sale held in America, when this importation was sold off 
and the herd closed up. Forty -three animals sold for $34,540, 
an average of $803.25. The formation of the Ohio Company 
was one of the notable steps in American Shorthorn history, 



THE SHORTHORN 



225 



Ohio Compam/s Importations of 1884. 



although later numerous other companies were organized in the 
Middle West for the importation and promotion of the breed. 

The char- 
acteristics of 
the Short- 
horn. Having 
traced briefly 
the influences 
that have sur- 
rounded the 
development 
of the Short- 
horn breed, a 
consideration 
of its charac- 
teristics will 
now be appro- 
priate. The 

(general con- 
ey 

formation of 
the Shorthorn 
adheres close- 
ly to the beef 
type, though 
certain tribes, 
the Bates bred 
in particular, 
have so strong 
a tendency to 
the produc- 
tion of milk as 
to be spoken 
of as general- 
purpose cattle. 
The follow- 
ing points es- 
pecially apply to 
paratively small 



Of DARLINGTON: 

A ROAN BULL, CALVED APRIL, 4. 1833. 
(Bred bj Thomas Bates, Esq.) 

PEBlGKim, <" pn- Certifcale in pcasatiim of F. RElflCK, Agent 

Got bj Belvidier; dam, Trin- 
ket, hy S jmetr J (643^;) grand 
dam, do. bj Jupiter [342;] gr. 
grand dam, do. bj Phenome- 
non [491;] gr. gr. grand dam 
Tragedj bj Favorite [252;] 
gr. gr. gr. g"rand dam, Tra- 
gedy by Punch [531.] 

The EARL OF DARLINGTON 
descended from the cow that took the 
first premium ever awarded by the Ag- 
ricultural Society at Darlington, Dur- 
ham county, England. 

§See Herd-Book, ^^.., .. i.^.,.. i„, l j^ .>., e^..us o. 



Fig. 88. Copy of the pedigree of the Earl of Darlington, in 
the possession of the author, published by the Ohio Importing 
Company about 1835. This is no doubt a copy of one of the 
first pedigrees printed in America. By courtesy of Mr. O. V. 
Ilegler, Fayette County, Ohio, whose grandfather was one of 
the original stockholders of the Ohio Importing Company 

the COW : The /wr;/ is variable, but is always com- 
and short and preferably curves forward, with the 



226 ■ CATTLE 

tips bending inward or upward. In color a waxy yellowish tint is 
preferred, though blackish tips are not debarred. The head should 
be lean and shapely and short from between the eyes to the muzzle, 
which should be flesh color and broad, with large nostrils. A dark 
or blackish muzzle is distinctly objected to by most breeders. 
The neck should be short, neatly attached to the head, and blend 
smoothly into the shoulders. Shorthorn shoulders tend to be a bit 
prominent and bare. They should be well laid in and smoothly 
covered with flesh. Back of the shoulders the crops and fore flanks 
are often deficient, and lack of heart girth is a frequent criticism of 
the breed. Superior animals show a body that is very broad of 
back, strong of loin, and so prominent of rib as to give a large 
girth and digestive capacity of the first order. The flanks before 
and behind are also low and full. A thick, deep body is usually 
associated with a low, full chest and prominent breast, — essentials 
with a proper constitutional development. The brisket should be 
broad and deep and carried forward as a part of a smooth, full, 
and attractive breast. The Jiiiid quarter of the Shorthorn is usu- 
ally typical of the breed, — superior in its general development to 
that of any other beef breed. Regarding the hips William Hous- 
man writes of the Shorthorn : " In fat or lean animals the hip 
bone must be liberally covered, not bare, hard, or sharp ; each 
hip 'cleft,' and the hollow filled with elastic flesh. This is an im- 
portant test of the quality of the animal, especially in the lean 
state." The rump is usually long, level, and broad and well 
covered with meat, while the thighs and quarters are long, thick, 
and deep from front to rear, showing a maximum amount of 
meat for this quarter. Animals of naturally heavy-fleshing quali- 
ties frequently get "patchy" about the root of the tail at the 
rump, and also roll some on the sides, thus detracting from the 
smoothness of finish. The modern demand is for smoothness, 
and the old-fashioned, rough, patchy class of cattle are in great 
disfavor among progressive Shorthorn breeders. Quality and 
smoothness are two essentials insisted upon, and the observant 
student will note that in the show ring of to-day, in important 
competition, those animals given preference are smooth and show 
a condition that signifies the distinctly superior butcher's beast. 
The udder of the Shorthorn usually shows greater capacity than 



THE SHORTHORN 



227 



does that of the other beef breeds. Shorthorn cows as a rule 
furnish an abundant supply of milk for the calf. It is this 
milk-producing capacity of the Shorthorn that has made it a 
favorite for a century with a class of American farmers who 
desire general-purpose cattle. In limb animals of this breed 
should show shortness of leg, small, clean bone, and strong yet 







Fig. 89. Village Supreme 423865, grand-champion Shorthorn bull in 1917 at the 
International Live-Stock Exposition and a great sire. Sold by Bellows Brothers, 
Maryville, Missouri, for $16,500. This is a fine example of the smooth-fleshed, 
modern type of Shorthorn, and one that meets with much favor. From photograph 
by Risk, by courtesy of Bellows Brothers 

not coarse joints. A criticism often made of Shorthorns and 
not without some justice is that they have a tendency to be too 
long of leg. This has been especially said in the past of cattle 
of Bates-bred ancestry, and this criticism has been materially 
weakened by the influence of Scotch blood, which has produced 
a compact type, with depth of rib and shortness of leg essential 
in cattle that will kill out to best advantage. The coat of /laiT' 
should be thick and fine, especially in the cooler season of the 
year. An abundant coat is an evidence of a rugged constitution, 



228 



CATTLE 



gives protection in cold weather, and is rather characteristic of 
animals of Scotch ancestry. What is known as a "thick, mossy 
undercoat " is more or less covered with a longer, coarser hair 
which, under favorable conditions, has a tendency to curl slightly. 
The Shorthorn bull should possess in the main the desirable 
features of the female, without her feminine qualities. His head. 




Fig. 90. Clover Leaf Gloster, junior champion Shorthorn female in 1918 at the 
International Live-Stock Exposition, and champion at other shows. A model 
Shorthorn heifer and a fine example of red color. Bred and owned by W. C. 
Rosenberger & Sons, Tiffin, Ohio. From photograph by Hildebrand, by courtesy 

of the owners 



horns, and neck naturally should be stronger and larger, the 
latter being thick and arched, the whole front showing character 
and breeding power. The horns of the bull are less curved than 
those of the cow and should be prominent yet not coarse. Over 
the forehead and neck should be a covering of thick, fine, and 
moderately long hair. In general form the bull should also be 
broad in front, with full deep bosom, broad powerful arms, a 
comparatively shorter and more blocky body than that possessed 
by the cow and with greater relative size. 



THE SHORTHORN 



229 



The color of the Shorthorn is in part distinctive of the breed. 
This may be pure red, red and white, pure white, or roan, the 
latter being a commingHng of red and white hairs without form- 
ing a sohd color. The shades vary — the red ranging from light to 
dark, and the roan from light or white roan to dark or red roan. 
No other breed claims the roan color. Black is not a Shorthorn 
color and should not occur in pure-bred animals. The skin color 
may properly be mentioned in this connection. This should be 
of a very light yellow or creamy tint, as shown in the ears and 
about the armpits and udder, or scrotum. The bare skin on the 
nose should be "flesh color" and not a dark slate, such as some- 
times occurs. A smutty nose is an off Shorthorn color and is 
distinctly objected to by breeders in general. 

The relative percentage of Shorthorn colors has attracted more 
or less attention. Years ago the author instituted a study of the 
herdbooks, with the view of ascertaining the prevalence of the 
different Shorthorn colors. For this purpose 10,000 head regis- 
tered in the herdbooks from 1859 to 1903 were classified, and 
color comparison made. In 191 7 my associate, Professor S. M. 
Salisbur}^, computed the colors of 24,000 animals registered from 
1910 to 1914 inclusive. The figures thus obtained, covering 
34,000 head, may be expressed as follows : 



Prevalence of Colors in Shorthorn Herdbooks 





1859- 


-1903 


1910- 


-1914 


Color ' 










NUMBER 


Per Cent 


NUMBER 


Per Cent 


Red 


4.943 


49-43 


15.085 


62.85 


Red and white . . 


2,748 


27.48 


3o40 


13-93 


Roan 


2,034 


20.34 


5.072 


21.13 


White 


275 


2.75 


503 


2.09 


Total 


10,000 


100.00 


24,000 


100.00 



These figures show red much the more prevalent and increasing 
with the years, a marked dropping off in red and white, no special 
change in roan, and a slight loss in white. The importance of 
color varies in the estimation of different persons, but color is no 
index to quality. Some have thought dark color indicates hardi- 
ness and that white is associated with possible lack of vigor or 



230 CATTLE 

constitution. There are no facts, however, to support the one theory 
or the other, and wise breeders pay no attention to such views. 
There have been Shorthorn color fads, and for years Kentucky, 
Ohio, and Indiana breeders demanded red, and red only, but this 
era has passed. At the present day, however, markedly red-and- 
white bulls are rarely seen in prominent herds, male calves of this 
color being: sold for service in gfrade herds or converted into steers. 




Fig. 91. White Heather, first-prize and champion Shorthorn cow at the 1904 

show of the Royal Agricultural Society of England. A beautiful example of the 

breed. Bred by J. Ueane Willis. P'rom photograph, by courtesy of William 

Cooper & Nephews, Berkhamsted, England 

The size of the Shorthorn places it in the largest class of beef 
cattle, and by many it is regarded as our largest breed. Records 
for two years at the International Live-Stock Exposition and the 
American Royal at Kansas City gave the following weights ^ : 
41 aged bulls averaged 2224 pounds, 40 two-year-old bulls 191 7 
pounds, 41 aged cows 1730 pounds, and 46 two-year-olds 1530 
pounds. These, being show animals, of course were in high condi- 
tion. Under fair conditions mature cows will usually weigh about 
1400 pounds, though they frequently exceed that and, in rare 

1 B. O. Cowan, Breeders' Guzeitc'. October 9, 191 2. 



THE SHORTHORN 231 

cases, reach 2000 pounds. The mature bull will easily attain 1 800 
to 2000 pounds ; many weigh from 2000 to 2200, and weights 
upward to 2500 occur, though the latter figure is infrequent. The 
Hereford is a close second to the Shorthorn in size, with no 
great difference between the two breeds. 

The Shorthorn as a beef producer stands in the first class. The 
men who have attained the most fame as Shorthorn breeders have 
always emphasized the value of this breed in producing the best 
of beef on a profitable basis. There have been cases where great 
breeders — like Bates, for example — laid stress on the impor- 
tance of the breed in milk production, but this was not to be at 
the expense of the meat-producing qualities. Cruickshank and 
the Scotch school of Shorthorn breeders, however, laid more 
emphasis on the value of the breed on the block, the final test 
of all meat animals. In the leading fat-stock shows of Great 
Britain, the United States, Argentina, and Australia, the Short- 
horn far outnumbers any other breed, while in the stockyards 
Shorthorn grades greatly predominate. The Shorthorn produces 
a class of beef that is wide in the loin, thick, wide, and long in 
the hind quarters, and of fine fiber or quality. If compared with 
the Aberdeen-Angus the Shorthorn will not dress out quite as 
high, perhaps, in percentage of meat to offal, though the differ- 
ence is not large ; also the dressed carcass of the Shorthorn will 
show somewhat more tallow and external patches of fat than will 
the Aberdeen-Angus. In a study of the gains made by different 
breeds of steers shown at the Smithfield Show in England for 
twenty years (1895-19 14), Henry and Morrison show^ that the 
Shorthorn ranked at the very top among eleven breeds. Eighty-five 
yearling steers, averaging six hundred and seventy-four days old 
and 1446 pounds weight, made an average daily gain of 2.14 
pounds. Ninety-one two-year-olds, averaging one thousand and 
twelve days old and 1901 pounds in weight, made an average 
daily gain of 1.88 pounds. Four three-year-olds showed an average 
weight of 2363 pounds and a daily gain for thirteen hundred and 
fifty-three days of 1.74 pounds. No other breed showed as high 
a gain at two or three years as the Shorthorn. In the carcass 

^ Feeds and Feeding (1915), p. 445. Compiled from The Live Stock Jotirnal, 
London. 



232 



CATTLE 



contests at the International Live-Stock Exposition the Shorthorn 
has held a very secondary position, largely, however, because of 
lack of breed competition. In the open market the breed or its 
grades are prime favorites and bring among the top values. One of 
the most notable market records was on September 24, 1918, when 
ninety-one Shorthorn steer calves averaging looi pounds sold 
on the Chicago market at $19.25 per hundredweight, bringing an 




Fig. 92. Merry Monarch, champion Shorthorn and grand-champion steer over 
all breeds, grades and crossbreds, at the 1917 International Live-Stock Exposition. 
Bred and shown by Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana. The most beautiful 
Shorthorn steer in the history of the International up to 191 7. From photograph 
by Ilildebrand, by courtesy of Purdue University 



average of $192.69 per head. On October 4, 19 18, Hay Brown 
of Illinois sold a load of steers averaging 1017 pounds at $19.60, 
the top price for baby beef on the Chicago market up to this 
time. In 1909 the grand-champion carload of steers were Short- 
horn yearlings shown by Kcavs and Oglcsby of Illinois. 

The Shorthorn steer in the show ring has made an impressive ex- 
hibit, but has played a minor part in grand-championship honors 
since the International Live-Stock Exposition was established. 



THE SHORTHORN 



233 



At the old American Fat Stock Show held at Chicago from 
1878 to 1892 the Shorthorn made the strongest show of any 
breed, the white steer Clarence Kirklevington, in 1884, creating a 
great sensation. At the International, the successor of the 
American, each year since 1900 there has been a notable show. 
Only twice in seventeen annual shows has the Shorthorn won 
grand-championship honors in the single-steer classes, this being 




Fig. 93. Shorthorn steer herd of Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana. Cham- 
pion herd at the 1918 International Live-Stock Exposition. Bred and shown 
by Purdue University and sired by Lavender Sultan 354 171. From photograph 

by J. C. Allen 



in 1907 with Roan King (shown by James Leask of Canada) and 
in 19 1 7 with Merry Monarch (shown by Purdue University of 
Indiana). This latter steer was regarded as one of the very finest 
specimens of the breed ever seen in America, showing superior 
breed character, quality, condition, and finish. In 19 16, at the 
Palermo show in Argentina, the Shorthorn steer Luis, weighing 
1685 pounds at thirty-five months and made grand champion, 
sold for approximately $11,130 in gold. While the Shorthorn 
grade or crossbred meets with distinct favor in the market, in the 
show ring it has, as a rule, stood second to the Aberdeen-Angus. 



234 



CATTLE 



The importance of the Shorthorn in grading or crossing, in spite 
of what is brought out in the show-ring steer test, is most impor- 
tant. No other breed thus far has done so much to improve beef 
stock. Shorthorn bulls mated to grade cows have revolutionized 
the character of the meat stock of the world. All over America 
to-day herds of excellence may be found, — animals graded up by 
Shorthorn bulls. In the principal stockyards of America the 







h^'^ .WOte^ki'ic^^^lT 


„.Jl:.:M[ 



Fig. 94. Shorthorn steer calf, second prize in 1918 at the Wisconsin Baby Beef 

Show. Fitted and shown by Josephine Ilerr, Lodi, Wisconsin. From photograph, 

by courtesy of American Shorthorn Breeders' Association, Chicago, Illinois 



blood of this breed predominates, and well-finished, high-grade 
Shorthorn steers are always at a premium witli the butcher. In 
Scotland and England white Shorthorn bulls bred on Galloway or 
Angus cows produce what are termed " blue grays," which, as steers, 
meet with the highest market favor, being steel gray in color and 
showing much quality and superior killing value. On the Western 
range the Shorthorn has been a potent factor in improving the 
common native stock. Within what is known as the corn belt, in 
the Mississippi Valley, no other class of steers is so universal. 



THE SHORTHORN 



235 



The Shorthorn from the dairy point of view ranks high. In 
England a great percentage of the dairy herds are of Shorthorn 
blood. As one crosses the midland and southern counties he 
may see large numbers of Shorthorns with udders indicating great 
milking capacity. Much of the milk shipped into London comes 
from Shorthorn herds. The author visited one farm in Berkshire 
where some five hundred cows of this breed were milked daily 
and the product shipped to London. In the United States many 
farmers, notably in the Central West, rely upon Shorthorn cows 
for their milk supply. As has been already indicated, as a result of 
hereditary transmission and the early breeding of Bates and others, 
the Shorthorn produces an abundance of milk. No beef breed equals 
it. Shorthorns generally may be in a measure grouped into two 
classes — the beefy type and the general-purpose sort. As a rule, it 
is true, the latter class will not fatten as easily and does not present 
the beef conformation in as high a degree as does the former. 
Even then the beefy class of Shorthorn surpasses the Hereford, 
Aberdeen-Angus, and Galloway in furnishing milk for its offspring. 

Official public-dairy tests of Shorthorn cows have been under- 
taken on three occasions in the United States — in 1893 at the 
World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago, in 1901 at the Pan- 
American Exposition at Buffalo, and in 1904 at the Louisiana 
Purchase Exposition at St. Louis. These were each under official 
supervision of dairy scientists of rrote and superintendents repre- 
senting the different breeds. At the World's Columbian Exposi- 
tion, Shorthorns competed against herds of Jerseys and Guernseys. 
In the cheese-making test of fourteen days the Shorthorn ranked 
third, producing 12,186.9 pounds milk, from which was made 
1077.6 pounds cheese. The Shorthorn cow Nora stood second 
to a Jersey, producing 60.56 pounds cheese at a net profit of 
$6.27. In the butter-making test for ninety days, in which gain 
in live weight was credited, the following results were secured : 



Breed 


Number 
OF Cows 


Milk 
(pounds) 


Butter 
(pounds) 


Gain Live 
Weight 


Net Profit 


Jersey .... 
Shorthorn . . . 
Guernsey . . . 


25 
23 
25 


73,478.8 
66,263.2 
61,781.7 


4573-95 
2890.86 

3360.43 


776 

2826 

466 


$1323.81 
911. 13 
997-63 



236 



CATTLE 



This was a very creditable showing, especially in view of the 
fact that the Shorthorns were not selected with the great pains 
and expense that the Jerseys were and did not represent as many 
high-class dairy specimens as did the other breeds. Professor 
James Long of England, who inspected the cows, reported on his 
return home that in England they would not rank high as dairy 
Shorthorns. In this test the cow Nora made 3679.8 pounds milk, 




Fig. 95. A fine example pf a milking Shorthorn on an English pasture. From 
photograph by the author 



yielding 160.57 pounds butter, and gained 115 pounds; while the 
Jersey cow Brown Bessie, which led this breed, made 3634 pounds 
milk, yielding 216.66 pounds butter, and gained 81 pounds live 
weight. In a thirty-day butter test at the Columbian 24 Short 
horns made i 5,618.3 pounds milk, yielding 662.66 pounds butter, 
at a net profit of ^119.13. Both Jersey and Guernsey made less 
milk, but more butter and a greater net profit. In this test the best 
Shorthorn cow was Kitty Clay 4th. She produced 1592.8 pounds 
milk, yielding 62.24 pounds butter, showing a net profit of $19.57' 
In a fourth test, of one week, six Shorthorn heifers under three 



THE SHORTHORN 237 

years old competed with six Jersey heifers, the Shorthorns produc- 
ing 2581 pounds milk, yielding 122.36 pounds butter, at a net 
profit of ^47.42 ; the Jerseys gave 3356.6 pounds milk, yielding 
194.22 pounds butter and a net profit of $56,27. 

In 1 90 1, at the Pan-American Exposition, between May i and 
October 31, five Shorthorn cows produced a total of 1307.55 
pounds churned butter, yielding a net profit of $164.77. This 
gave the Shorthorn eighth place among ten breeds, although in 
value of total solids these cows stood sixth, and in value of solids 
and gain in live weight the Shorthorns ranked third. In 1904, 
at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, more satisfactory returns 
were secured than from either of the other two tests. In a trial 
of one hundred and twenty days, in which twenty Shorthorns were 
carried entirely through, the cows made an average of 4421.6 
pounds milk, 165.3 pounds butter fat, 382.7 pounds solids not fat, 
and an average gain in weight during one hundred and fourteen 
days of 105.3 pounds. 

Important milk records of Shorthorn cows demonstrate great 
producing capacity. Rose of Glenside, long the milking champion 
of the breed, produced 18,075 pounds of milk in a year. Doris 
Clay, on January 22, 19 17, finished a year's record of 17,24 im- 
pounds of milk. Belle Clare, from January 26, 19 10, to January 
25, 191 1, produced 15,215 pounds of milk and in May averaged 
nearly 60 pounds daily. There have been some remarkable records 
extending through a period of years. Darlington Cranford 5th gave 
over 100,000 pounds of milk in ten years. Dorothy, a daughter 
of Darlington Cranford 4th, averaged 10,536 pounds of milk for 
eleven years. Blossom 5th averaged 8,652.3 pounds for ten years. 
Doris Clay dropped 10 calves in ten years and produced during 
this period 70,856 pounds of milk. Mamie Clay 2d, beginning as 
a two-year-old, made an average of 10,640 pounds of milk per 
year for five years. Volumes I and II of the " Milking Shorthorn 
Yearbook " contain the records of 427 cows of all ages, and these pro- 
duced an average yield of 8823 pounds 9 ounces of milk. Vol- 
ume IV for 19 1 9 contains 107 records, the greatest of which is of 
1 4,00 1 .6 pounds of milk and 5 4 5 .44 pounds of fat by the cow Odette 
(v. 66, p. 772). In recent years milking Shorthorns have greatly 
increased in popularity, and through careful selective breeding 



238 



CATTLE 



have come these very high-class records, Mr. George Taylor, long 
noted as a breeder of milking Shorthorns in England, stated ^ that 
when he first started keeping the milk records his herd average 
was not 600 gallons^ annually. " Now it exceeds 800 gallons, and 
I rarely keep a cow that does not yield 700 gallons per year." 
Late in 19 18 the statement was published in England that the cow 




Fig. 96. White Queen, an imported dairy Shortiiorn cow, bought by C. A. Otis, 

Willoughby, Ohio, for $3000. She has a milk record of 10,430 pounds for one 

year. From photograph by Hildebrand, by courtesy of Mr. Otis 

Waterloo Baroness 2d, calved in 1908 and bred by Mr. Taylor, 
had produced 62,601 pounds of milk and 6 calves in six years. 

Important butter-fat records of Shorthorn cows are naturally 
associated with large milk production, but many of the milk 
records have not involved fat tests. The world's record in butter- 
fat production for a Shorthorn cow is reported late in 1917.^ 

1 Live Stock Journal (London), December 31, 1909. 

2 The Knghsh gallon is equal to ten pounds. 

* Agriailtiiral Gazette of New South Wales, December 3, 1917. 



THE SHORTHORN 239 

The cow Melba VII, for a period of three hundred and sixty-five 
days, is credited with a yield of 17,364 pounds of milk containing 
868 pounds of fat, equal to 1021.59 pounds estimated butter. 
Her milk showed an average test of 5 per cent fat. This cow was 
bred by and is owned by the Scottish- Australian Investment Com- 
pany, Gundgai, New South Wales, The most notable test in the 
United States was by Rose of Glenside, which, on March 2, 19 10, 
completed an official yearly record, producing 735 pounds of butter 
fat, or 2.01 pounds per day. The cow Ruby produced 715 pounds, 
Buttercup 2d 657.7 pounds, and Doris Clay 653.35 pounds of 
butter fat in a year. Four hundred and twenty-seven cows recorded 
in Volumes I and II of the " Milking Shorthorn Yearbook " show 
an average yearly fat record of 330.2 pounds. 

The Shorthorn for early maturity ranks among the best of the 
beef breeds, though up to twelve months of age it is probably 
slightly surpassed by the Aberdeen-Angus and Hereford. Records 
of pure-bred steer weights secured at the International Live-Stock 
Exposition, covering 1910 and 191 1, showed an average weight 
for 29 Angus calves at 1008 pounds and 31 Shorthorns at 911 
pounds.! After passing the calf age the Shorthorn attains a weight 
equaling or surpassing the other breeds. Maturity is also more or 
less influenced by the family blood lines, and no doubt the popu- 
lar Scotch tribes come on faster as baby beef than do the plainer, 
more upstanding sort. 

The adaptability of the Shorthorn to a wide range of conditions 
is probably unsurpassed. Prominent herds are found on the low- 
lands, the uplands, in the colder north, the warmer south, on 
rich pastures and those not so desirable. While a popular breed 
with the small farmer, so is it also a favorite on the range of the 
great West and on the vast grazing fields of Argentina, 

The temperament of the Shorthorn is notably phlegmatic and 
quiet, such as might be expected in the beef type. In disposition 
it may be fairly claimed that of all the beef breeds this is the 
quietest and most easily handled. In the writer's personal contact 
with the different breeds the Shorthorn has manifested in a 
pronounced degree a quiet disposition and ease of control under 
a variety of conditions. 

1 B. O. Cowan, Breeders'' Gazette, October 9, 1912. 



240 



CATTLE 



The prolificacy of the Shorthorn is fairly comparable with the 
other beef breeds. There are many examples to be found of 
Shorthorn cows that have during long lives dropped many calves, 
and twins are not so uncommon with the breed as to be remark- 
able. In early days the Duchess family, as promoted by Bates, 
was subject to considerable criticism for lack of fecundity, but this 
criticism did not have a wide application to the breed. A remark- 
ably prolific grade Shorthorn cow that had dropped twenty-two 
calves is reported by George Winsak of Montana. Evan Baillie of 

England reports in the 
Live Stock Jounial 
(London) on the cow 
Lady Oxford Kirkle- 
vington, that at twelve 
years had dropped 
eleven calves, all sin- 
gles. Her dam, Kirk- 
levington 8th, had five 
daughters in succes- 
sion and has handed 
down such a tendency 
to female produce that 
her youngest grand- 
daughter is the forty- 
seventh female. 

The prepotency of 
the Shorthorn is very 
marked, a characteristic feature of the long-established breed. 
Shorthorn bulls used on grade herds reproduce the dominant 
features of the breed in no uncertain measure. Shorthorn pre- 
potency is shown in two striking ways — in the large pure-bred 
herd, where females of various tribes are brought together, and 
in the important stockyards, where large numbers of Shorthorn 
grades are to be seen. In either case the outstanding features 
of the breed are clearly to be seen. 

Notable recent American Shorthorn sires. The history of the 
Shorthorn is necessarily associated with many sires of distinct 
importance. Among those that may be regarded as leaders since 




Fig. 97. A fine Shorthorn matron and calf on an 
Ohio pasture. From photograph by the author 



THE SHORTHORN 241 

1900, are the following fifteen.^ Those marked with a star (*) 
were bred in Great Britain. Each sire received 32 points for 
each first prize winner, 16 for each second or third sired by him, 
and 8 for each first prize or 4 for each second or third of which 
he was grandsire, and 2 points for each first or i point for each 
second or third of which he was great grandsire. (i) Whitehall 
Siiltan 163573, calved 1900, points 979; (2) Avondalc 245144, 
calved 1905, points 709; (3) Choice Goods 18602*, calved 1899, 
points 525 ; (4) Cumberland's Last 1 1 8578, calved 1904, points 
365 ; (5) March KnigJit 188 105, calved 1902, points 353 ; (6) />Y/- 
/rt-^^r 295884, calved 1906, points 310; (7) Glcnbrook Sidtan 
243185, calved 1904, points 292 ; (8) Bapton Sultan 163570*, 
calved 1898, points 267; (9) The-Lad-for-JMe 1406 18, calved 
1897, points 213; (10) Whitehall Marshall 209775, calved 
1902, points 205 ; (11) Conqueror 149048*, calved 1899, points 
189; (12) Hampto}is Best 1708 18, calved 1900, points 180; 
(13) Nonpareil FzV/*?^! 32573*, calved 1896, points 175 ; (14) Lord 
Lovat 1 301 5 7, calved 1896, points 171; (15) Gallant Knight 
124468, calved 1896, points 160. Whitehall Sultan and his son 
Avondale may be regarded as two of the greatest sires of the 
past quarter of a century. 

Famous Shorthorn cows of recent years. Among the great 
show and producing cows of the present century may be 
mentioned the following, each of which has produced a grand 
champion: Avalanche 2d (v. 60, p. 655), Bapton Pearl (v. 48, 
p. 368), Dorothea (v. 45, p. 645), Emma J 2d (v. 46, p. 714), 
Geraldine ^tJi (v. 41, p. 354 E), Lady-in-Waiting (v. 44, p. 632), 
Lady Marjory (v. 48, p. 406), Maxzvalton Mina 2d 86601, 
Rosezuood Pride (v. 60, p. 655), Ruberta (v. 45, p. 1084). 

The prices paid for Shorthorns have attained figures far beyond 
the expectations of the most ardent admirers of this great breed. 
For over a century high prices have been obtained at both private 
and public sales, with records of new high points during the days 
of the World War. Many bulls have changed hands at $5000 

^ These relative positions are based on prizes won at the American Royal and 
the International Live-Stock Exposition by descendants included within three 
generations and from 1903 to 191 5 inclusive. Information furnished by the 
courtesy of Professor Gilbert Gusler of Illinois University. 



242 



CATTLE 



each since the time of Charles Colhng's sale in i8i i, when Comet 
was the first to bring this figure. The sale of Walcott and 
Campbell, held September lo, 1873, at New York Mills, New 
York, was for forty-five years the record-breaking Shorthorn sale 
of history, when 109 animals sold for $381,990, an average of 
$3504. The cow Eighth Duchess of Geneva brought $40,600, 
the highest price paid for cow or bull, until 191 8, while 18 other 
animals ranged from $5000 up to $35,000 each, the latter being the 
price paid for Tenth Duchess of Geneva. The bull Second Duke 
of Oneida brought §12,000. In 1869 Daniel McMillan sold at 

Xenia, Ohio, atauction 
71 head which aver- 
aged $864.61, while 
in 1874 Colonel W. 
S. King of Minnesota 
sold in Chicago 79 
head at an average of 
$ 1628, the bull Second 
Duke of Hillhurst sell- 
ing at $14,000. Be- 
tween 1870 and 1880 
there were sold at auc- 
tion in this country 
26, 1 5 I Shorthorns at 
an average price of $294 per head. Between 1891 and 1900, 
during a period of great depression in beef-cattle prices, the 
Kansas Board of Agriculture reports 15,741 head sold at auction 
at an average price of $138.41. In recent years Shorthorn values 
have greatly increased, and thousands of animals have changed 
hands at figures exceeding $1000 or more. In 19 10 Thomas 
Stanton sold the bull Prince Imperial 32571 1 for $10,000 to 
George J. Savers. In 191 5 the bull Americus, champion at the 
Palermo show in Argentina in 191 3, sold to Senor Ginnochio 
for about $33,000 in gold. On December i, 19 17, at the sale 
of Frank Harding of Wisconsin, the bull Anoka Champion 
555^57 sold to B. ¥. Hales for $17,000. At this sale fourteen 
bulls averaged $2607, thirty-one females $1073, and forty-five 
head $1551. A year later Mr. Harding sold 48 head for an 




Fig. 98. Pride of Morning (i 20551), by Star of 

Morning (12 1243). At one time leading stock bull 

in the herd of William Duthie, Scotland. From 

photograph by the author 



THE SHORTHORN 243 

average of ^1865, and 13 bulls averaged ^3457, one of which, 
Anoka Omega 698327, brought $12,000. In a sale of Carpenter 
& Ross of Ohio at Chicago on June 20, 19 18, sixteen bulls 
averaged $2800, one hundred and six females $1386, and one 
hundred and twenty-two in all brought a total of $192,982, or 
an average of $1370. In this sale H. S. Black of Mansfield, 
Ohio, paid $20,000 for the yearling bull Rodney. In a sale held 
by this same firm June 24 and 25, 191 9, in Chicago, 38 bulls 
averaged $3484, while 172 head of both sexes brought a total of 
$378,505, or an average of $2200. The imported yearling bull 
Cudham Dreadnought was sold to Hay Brown of Illinois for 
$19,500. In June, 1918, Bellows Brothers of Missouri sold 65 
head for an average of $1709, the bull Village Supreme 423865 
bringing $16,500. On May 15, 1919, H. C. Lookabaugh, 
Watonga, Oklahoma, sold 38 head for $111,850, an average of 
$2943. Three bulls averaged $10,316, and one of them, Fair 
Acres Sultan Jr. 596263, brought $17,250. According to "^ The 
Shorthorn in America," 11,011 Shorthorns were sold in America 
at 199 public sales, during 1918, for $5,664,936, or at an average 
of $514. According to Mr. F. P. Mathews,^ in 1916 there were 
sold in England 5838 Shorthorns for the average price of about 
$300 per head. Among the greatest Shorthorn sales in recent 
years have been those held in North Scotland, more especially 
the bull sales of Mr. William Duthie. In 191 5 eighteen Short- 
horn bull calves of Mr. Duthie averaged $1744, in 19 16 twenty- 
three averaged $3083, in 1917 twenty-four averaged $3279.50, 
and in 19 18 twenty averaged about $5450. At the 19 17 sale the 
calf Collynie Lavender King brought $14,175. At the Perth, 
Scotland, sales in February, 19 18, there were sold 434 bulls at 
an average price of $772. Two bulls made high records in the 
Scotch sales at this time — Pride of Millhills at Perth bringing 
$16,275 arid Proud Conqueror at Aberdeen, $16,800. At the 
19 1 9 February sales abroad Cluny Proud Augustus at Perth sold 
for $20,000, Pierrepont Golden Prince and Windsor Knight at 
Birmingham each brought $21,000, and Gartley Lancer at Penrith 
topped all British records at $23,750. In recent years milking 
Shorthorns have also brought very high prices. In October, 19 16, 

1 Live Stock Journal Almanac (1917), p. 94. 



244 



CATTLE 



at the sale of Samuel Sandy in England, 1 1 5 head brought an aver- 
age of $605. In May, 191 7, at the sale of L. D, May of Penn- 
sylvania, 39 milking Shorthorns averaged $1008, one of which, 
White Queen, sold for ^3000. On June 21, 1918, Arnold Wills 
of Northampton, England, sold 56 head for an average of $1140, 
with the high price of $10,000 for the yearling bull Thornby 



^/ 





Fig. 99. Milking Shorthorn bull Waterloo Clay, weight 2300 pounds. The 

property of Hintstone Farm, Dalton, Mas.sachusetts. Grand champion at Eastern 

States Exposition, 19 17 



Premier, paid by Sir Gilbert Greenall. In October, 19 18, there 
were sold 68 dairy Shorthorns by R. W. Hobbs & Sons of Kelm- 
scott, Lechlade, England, for the high average price of $ii55- 
The geographical distribution of the Shorthorn is most wide- 
spread, no other breed equaling it in this respect. It is so well 
suited to a wide range of conditions and has been so extensively 
distributed that it has been termed " the universal intruder." 
It is generally found in North America ; in South America, more 
particularly in Argentina ; in Europe, being the most promi- 
nent breed on the British Isles, although bred to some extent on 
the Continent ; in Australasia, where it has long met with favor ; 



THE SHORTHORN 245 

and to some extent in South Africa and Asia. In the United 
States the Shorthorn is the most popular breed of cattle, as 
attendance at the great shows, especially in the states of the 
Mississippi Valley north of the Ohio, will demonstrate. In a 
statement from the office of the American Shorthorn Breeders' 
Association, giving the distribution of breeders in the United 
States registering pure-bred Shorthorns, it is shown that 20,871 
breeders are distributed in forty-five states, the ten leading states 
being as follows : Iowa, 4070; Illinois, 1885; Nebraska, 1740; 
Missouri, 1625 ; Minnesota, 1520; Kansas, 1285 ; South Dakota, 
1 155 ; Indiana, 1 100 ; Ohio, 945 ; Wisconsin, 760, This evidence 
of wide distribution speaks well for the adaptability of the breed. 
However, on the Western range, under severe weather conditions 
and where " roughing it " is required, the Shorthorn will not 
thrive as well as the Hereford or Galloway. 

Organizations for the promotion of Shorthorn cattle precede 
all other breeding associations for meat-producing animals. The 
first live-stock registry for cattle was the " Shorthorn Herdbook," 
published by George Coates of Yorkshire, England, in 1822. This 
forms the foundation of the English " Shorthorn Herdbook," 
known as " Coates's Herdbook," which in 19 18 attained its sixty- 
third volume. Mr. Coates edited the first five volumes, when, 
owing to his death in 1846, he was succeeded by Mr. H. Strafford, 
who served as editor of the next fifteen volumes. In 1876 the 
Shorthorn Society of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and 
Ireland assumed control of the publication of the herdbook, and 
through its editing committee has ever since maintained super- 
vision of the records of the society. The first volume of the 
"American Shorthorn Herdbook" appeared in 1846, being 
published by Lewis F. Allen of New York. In 1869 the 
"American Shorthorn Record " first appeared, being published 
by A. J. Alexander of Kentucky, and ten volumes were issued. 
In 1878 the Ohio Shorthorn Breeders' Association published a 
record and followed it with two others. In 1882 the American 
Shorthorn Breeders' Association absorbed these and continued 
the publication of the old herdbook established by Allen. The 
"Canadian Shorthorn Herdbook" first appeared in 1867, the 
"British American Shorthorn Herdbook" appeared in 1881, 



246 



CATTLE 



and the "Dominion Shorthorn Herdbook " in 1887, the latter 
absorbing the other two. The "American Shorthorn Herdbook" 
up to 19 19 numbers ninety-three volumes, and new volumes are 
appearing yearly. Already over 700,000 Shorthorns have been 
registered in the United States, and 250,000 in Canada. Milk- 
ing Shorthorns in England are generally registered in " Coates's 
Herdbook," of which there is a dairy association branch that 
supervises the official testing of the cows. In the United States 
the American Shorthorn Breeders' Association provides for test- 
ing for advanced registry milking cows of the breed and pub- 
lishes yearly reports of official records. In 191 5 there was also 




Fig. 100. Shorthorns of the royal house on the pasture at Windsor, England. 
From photograph by the author 



organized in the United States, at the Minnesota State Fair, an 
American Milking Shorthorn Breeders' Association. Shorthorn 
associations exist in Argentina, in Australia, and in France, and 
herdbooks are published in these countries. A number of local 
Shorthorn breeders' associations have been organized in different 
states, these being as a rule in the nature of community breeders' 
associations. These are for promoting the breed in various ways, 
but more especially for fostering combination sales. Important 
service in behalf of the Shorthorn, in the way of publicity, is being 
rendered through a quarterly periodical published by the American 
association, under the title of TJic SJiortho7n in America, the first 
number appearing in April, 19 16. TJic SJiorthorn World, pub- 
lished in Chicago, the first number appearing in March, 1916, is 
a commendable journal devoted to this breed. 



CHAPTER XXV 

THE POLLED SHORTHORN 

The origin of the Polled Shorthorn. In consideration of the fact 
that Polled Shorthorn cattle are either pure-bred Shorthorns or 
nearly so, the author does not regard it as necessary to devote 
much space to them other than historical. 

The "single standard" Polled Durham was the first type of 
hornless Shorthorn to attract attention in America. This is the 
result of uniting native mulley cows with pure -bred Shorthorn 
bulls. Cattle of such blood lines are quite commonly designated 
as " single standard " because of being eligible to registration 
only in the " Polled Durham Herdbook." When the movement 
for dehorning got well started nearly twenty years ago, men here 
and there began to seek combinations by which the horns might 
be bred off. Some men who were breeders of Shorthorns or 
who believed in the Shorthorn type sought to breed hornless 
cattle. Among the pioneers in this work were W. S. Miller, 
Dr. W. W. .Crane, R. Clawson, and Peter Shafer of Ohio, J. F. 
Burleigh of Illinois, J. H. Miller of Indiana, and T. Dunham of 
Iowa. These men used pure Shorthorn bulls on mulley cows of 
Shorthorn type and so finally developed what they termed the 
Polled Durham breed. Cattle of this breeding were quite like 
Shorthorns, tending toward the dual-purpose type, were inclined 
to be leggy, and hardly met the demands of the Shorthorn 
critics for thickness of flesh. Those that had true polled heads 
were used for breeding, and thus gradually were developed, mainly 
in western Ohio, herds of Polled Durham cattle. 

The " double standard" Polled Shorthorn represents the demand 
of Shorthorn breeders and others for a pure hornless class of 
Shorthorn cattle. These are often termed " double standard " 
because of being eligible to registration in both the "American 
Shorthorn Herdbook" and the "Polled Shorthorn Herdbook." 
Very naturally, with the development of the "' single standard " 

247 



248 



CATTLE 



class, breeders began to watch for pure-bred Shorthorns free of 
horns. This branch has its origin in several Shorthorn families, 
notably the White Rose, Young Phyllis, and Gwynne. 

The cow Oakwood Gwynne 4th, registered in Volume XV of 
the "American Shorthorn Ilerdbook," was bred by W. S. King 
of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was calved May 12, 1873. She 
had but very slight horns, or scurs, being almost polled. Bred to 

Seventh Duke of Hill- 
hurst 34221, she pro- 
duced twin female 
calves, Mollie Gwynne 
and Nellie Gwynne 
(Vol. XXIII, p. 728), 
that developed true 
polled heads. When 
later bred to Bright 
Eyes Duke 3 1 894, she 
produced as a result a 
red bull calf that was a 
true polled animal and 
which was recorded as 
King of Kine 87412, 
In 1888 \V. S.Miller 
of Elmore, Ohio, pur- 
chased these three 
offspring of Oakwood 
Gwynne 4th, and with 
them developed a herd 
of pure polled Shorthorns. King of Kine was used in the herd 
three years and proved a very prepotent sire, some 90 per cent 
of his calves from horned cows being polled. He was used on 
cows of the Rose of Sharon, Young Mary, and Phyllis tribes 
with much success. Then a son of his, Ottawa Duke 109292, 
out of Nellie Gwynne, was used in the herd, and all his off- 
spring proved to be hornless. Later Ottawa Duke came into 
the possession of Dr. W, W, Crane, in whose herd he rendered 
valuable service. Ottawa Duke sired Miami Boy 1 165 17 and 
Tippecanoe 4th 121 365, well-known sires in the Crane herd. 




Fig. iot. Sultan's Creed 353694, one of the best 
Polled .Shorthorn bulls of recent years and a very 
noted sire. Bred and owned by J. H. Miller & 
Sons, Peru, Indiana. From photograph, by courtesy 
of owners 



THE POLLED SHORTHORN 249 

Mr. J. H. Miller of Indiana early became a celebrated breeder of 
Polled Durhams and in 1893, with some others, made at the 
World's Columbian Exposition the first notable exhibit of this 
breed. Mr. Miller's bull Young Hamilton 114169, a pure Short- 
horn and the Columbian Exposition Polled Durham sweepstakes 
male, rendered valuable pioneer service in his herd. 

The important requirements for registering Polled Shorthorn 
cattle, as originally adopted by the American Polled Durham 
Association, were as follows : ( i ) they must have true polled 
heads ; (2) they must have the color and characteristic markings 
of the Shorthorn ; (3) they must have not less than 87I per cent 
of Shorthorn blood in 1893, at least 93 1 per cent after 1896, and 
fully 96I per cent after 1899. Volume III of the "American 
Polled Durham Herdbook," published in 1905, contains the by- 
laws of the American Polled Durham Association as adopted 
April 29, 1902. Section X, which qualifies registration and 
covers the old rule, is as follows : 

Animals to be eligible to entry in t'.ie " American Polled Durham Herdbook " 
must be at least six months old ; must be naturally hornless ; must have 
both parents recorded therein or have one parent recorded in the book and 
the other parent recorded in the "American Shorthorn Herdbook" or other 
generally accepted Shorthorn herdbook ; and further, must have an ancestry, 
that are eligible, recorded in the "American Polled Durham Herdbook." 

The prepotency of the Polled Shorthorn is well maintained in 
herds that are carefully selected and bred with the view of reduc- 
ing the horn to a minimum. By the use of polled bulls of pre- 
potent character mated to Shorthorn cows, polled females are 
produced that become eligible to entry in the Polled herdbook, but 
the progeny thus secured offers an element of uncertainty in the 
reproduction of polled heads. 

The popularity of Polled Shorthorns, if one looks at the situation 
frankly, is not great. In Ohio, where one might expect to find 
Polled Shorthorns in considerable numbers, there are comparatively 
few herds. They have seemed more in favor farther west, notably 
in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska. One reason why the 
Polled Shorthorn is not in greater favor is due to the fact that 
there have not been enough outstanding herds of beef type and 
character to arouse enthusiasm among breeders of Shorthorns. 



250 



CATTLE 



However, some very superior Polled Shorthorns have been bred, 
such as reflected great credit on this strain of cattle. The growing 
popularity of polled cattle should benefit the Polled Shorthorn 
in particular. 

The prices paid for Polled Shorthorns in general are very mod- 
est in comparison with Shorthorns ; still a number of remarkably 
good sales have been held in recent years. On April 9, 19 14, 
Mr. J. H, Miller of Indiana, famous as a breeder and improver, 

disposed of thirty- 
seven head at a pub- 
lic sale for $20,960, 
an average of $566, 
One of the best bulls 
of the day, Sultan's 
Creed 3 5 3964X87 1 6, 
brought $2200, and 
a son of his — Intense 
Sultan 385882X — 
brought $1500. The 
cow Capacious Sultan 
132803X sold for 
S1050. At a breed- 
ers' sale at Oxford, 
Iowa, in March, 19 18, 
forty-four head aver- 
aged $340, and the 
very successful show 
bull Snowball X478714 brought $3600. At the Polled Durham 
Breeders' Association sale at the International Live-Stock Ex- 
position in Chicago, in 19 18, forty-three head sold for $21,760, 
an average of $506, thirty-one females averaging $468. The top 
bull was the grand champion of the show, Royal Stamp X17841, 
which sold for $1525. 

The distribution of Polled Shorthorns is most common in the 
corn belt in the Mississippi Valley, but more especially in Ohio, 
Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Michigan, 
Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Mr. J. H. Miller has on several 
occasions exported Polled Shorthorns to Argentina. 




Fig. 102. Kulhla, a Polled Shorthorn cow of great 

scale and very superior character. Owned by W. M. 

Miller & Son, Mulberry, Indiana. From photograph 

by J. C. Allen 



THE POLLED SHORTHORN 25 1 

The promotion of Polled Shorthorn interests is officially super- 
vised by the American Polled Shorthorn Breeders' Association, 
organized at Chicago in 1889 as the American Polled Durham 
Breeders' Association. However, on July 11, 1919, the associa- 
tion in session in Chicago substituted " Shorthorn " for Durham. 
Seven volumes of the herdbook have since been published up 
to 19 19. It is to be noted in this connection that breeders are 
seeking to produce mainly animals that are eligible to registration 
in the "American Shorthorn Herdbook." The greater the per- 
centage of "double standard" Polled Shorthorns produced, the 
less the necessity of maintaining an independent herdbook for 
the polled cattle of the breed. 



CHAPTER XXVI 

THE HEREFORD 

The native home of the Hereford breed of cattle is the county 
of Hereford, located in the upper part of the lower third of Eng- 
land, with Wales for its western boundary. The county is gently 
rolling in places, while in other sections it is quite hilly, and 
superior grazing generally prevails. Mixed farming is practiced in 
Herefordshire. Wheat, barley, oats, root crops, and hay are the 
staples. This also is a leading apple-growing section of England. 
Here^Herefords are extensively bred, almost to the exclusion of 
all other kinds of cattle. They are also found more or less in the 
adjoining counties of Shropshire and Worcester in England, and 
in Radnor, Brecknock, and Monmouth counties in Wales. 

The origin of the Hereford, like that of other English breeds, 
is clouded in obscurity. Some have regarded the Hereford as 
descended from the aboriginal cattle. This opinion has been 
expressed by Youatt and by T. Duckham, the latter once prom- 
inent as editor of the "Hereford Herdbook." In 1788 William 
Marshall, a well-known English judge of cattle, gave it as his 
belief that the Hereford might be regarded as the first breed on 
the island. This was written when the Longhorn and Devon 
were popular and the Shorthorn was coming into favor rapidly. 
Some have accounted for Hereford color and type as due to the 
importation into Herefordshire by Lord Scudamore, prior to 167 1, 
of some white-faced cattle from Holland or Flanders. It is worth 
noting here that in the Dutch galleries of fine arts one will see 
many old paintings of cattle in which red bodies and white faces 
are not unusual. One of the great paintings of the world, " The 
Bull," in the gallery at The Hague in Holland, by l^aul Potter, 
who lived from 1625 to 1654, has in the group a white-faced, 
red-bodied cow, much like many plain-looking Herefords of to-day. 
In his study of breed evolution Professor James Wilson states ^ 

1 The Evolution of British Cattle, p. 103. London, 1909. 

2 ^2 



THE HEREFORD 



253 



that the cattle of Hereford and some neighboring districts acquired 
their red color from their Anglo-Saxon ancestors and their size 
and their white faces and underlines from Holland. Some empha- 
sis has been laid on the fact that in the herd of one of the Tullys 
of Huntington about the middle of the eighteenth century a bull 
calf with white face was dropped, which later as a sire produced 
many white-faced calves. Hereford color, however, has varied 
during the history of the breed. In 178S Marshall wrote that the 




Fig. 103. " The Bull," by Paul Potter (1625-1654). From a painting in the gallery 

at The Hague, Holland. Note the white face and leg of the cow, suggestive of 

the early-day Hereford 

prevailing color was red with a bald face. In time a wider range 
of color crept in, so that in 1845, when Eyton published the 
first herdbook, he grouped Herefords into four classes : namely, 
mottle-faced, light gray, dark gray, and red with white face. 
Twenty-five years later, however, all of the colors but the last 
were practically extinct. 

Early constructive Hereford breeders date back well into the 
eighteenth century. A number of men have attained special dis- 
tinction in this work, some of whom deserve more than passing 
notice here. Among these are the following : 



2 54 CATTLE 

The Tomkins family has the greatest fame among early Here- 
ford improvers. Richard Tomkins, of whose history little is 
known, who died in 1723, left to his son Benjamin of Court 
House, Canon Pyon, some cattle above the average, including 
the cow Silver and her calf. This son, Benjamin the Elder, was 
born in 17 14 and died in 1789 at Wellington Court, where he 
had lived since 1758. He was a most successful breeder and 
possessed a noted herd of cattle. A son of his, also named Ben- 
jamin, and designated "the Younger," was born in 1745 and 
died in 181 5. He farmed at Blackball, King's Pyon, and later 
at Wellington Court and Brook House, King's Pyon. This latter 
member of the family was the great improver. He bred closely 
in-and-in, using only bulls of his own breeding, one of which. 
Silver Bull (41), was a famous sire and perhaps his best, being 
a noted improver of stock. The bull Wellington {4) was also an 
almost equally famous sire. Through Tomkins's efforts Here- 
fords gradually matured earlier, produced less offal, became 
shorter of leg and more refined, and better covered over the back. 
He also gave the breed more character. His cattle presented 
some range of Hereford color. In 1819 his herd of 52 animals 
was sold at auction, 28 head of breeding stock bringing over 
^20,000, averaging nearly $750 (^149) each, the bull Phoenix 
(55) bringing $2800. 

William Galliers of Wigmore Grange was born in 171 3 and 
died in 1779. He was intimate with Benjamin Tomkins the Elder, 
and they used much of the same blood in developing their herds. 
His cattle passed into the hands of his son, John Galliers of Frog- 
don, who was born in 1755 and died in 1828. Another son, William, 
Jr., a celebrated breeder, was born in 1744 and died in 1832. 

John Price of Ryall was born in 1776 and died in 1843. He 
spent his more active years as a breeder near the town of Upton 
in Worcestershire. He was a close friend and disciple of Tomkins 
the Younger and adhered to Tomkins's blood lines. He practiced 
in-and-in breeding and developed a famous herd. He is said 
to have been rather independent on color markings and dairy 
qualities, giving them slight attention, but emphasizing a wide- 
spread forerib, strong constitution, great scale, and smoothness 
at the hind quarters. He purchased from Tomkins the famous 



THE HEREFORD 255 

mottle-faced bull Wellington (4). One of his cows, Toby Pigeon, 
by Toby (5), was a remarkable individual, dropping him nineteen 
calves. Nearly his entire herd, sold in 1841, descended from 
her, and this cov^^, then twenty-two years old, brought $70. Cattle 
of Price breeding were an important source in the improvement 
of many herds in Herefordshire. He had auction sales in 18 13, 
18 16, and 1 84 1 which realized a total of over $83,000. 

John Hewer (i 787-1 873) was a son of William Hewer, a 
Hereford breeder of eminence in his day. He was born in 




Fig. 104. Winter De Cote (4253), calved in 1S70, bred by Thomas Edwards, 
^Yintercote, Leominster, England. First-prize aged Hereford bull at the show of 
the Royal Agricultural Society of Pmgland. From an engraving by E. Hacker, 

published in 1874 

Monmouthshire, Wales, and in 18 17 moved to Shropshire, on 
Purslow farm near Craven Arms. Later he occupied several other 
estates. He did much to improve the breed, and laid great em- 
phasis on scale, quality, and uniformity of color. He had four 
favorite strains, Countess, Lofty, Red Rose, and Fanny, from 
which his cattle mainly descend. He let out bulls to service for 
large sums and bred and owned many of the most .eminent 
Here fords of the century. The following bulls bred by him are 
among the notable ones in the history of this breed : Sovereign 
(404), Lottery (410), Byron (440), Hope (44i)» Chance (335), 



2 56 CATTLE 

Defiance (416), Prince Dangerous (362), Lot (364), Lottery 2d 
(408), Young Favorite (413), Wonder (420), Fitzfavorite (441), 
Hamlet (512), Original ist (455), Young Waxy (451), Purslow 
(446), and Conqueror (412). There is scarcely a line of Hereford 
breeding to-day that is not traceable to the Hewer stock, 

Thomas Jeffries of The Grove, Pembridge, and other estates, 
was born in 1796 and died in 1843. He was a son of Thomas 
Jeffries and came from a family of well-known Hereford breeders. 
He first began with the Hereford stock developed by the family, 
but later infused the blood of cattle bred by John Hewer, hiring 
from him Sovereign, Lottery, Byron, and Fitzfavorite. This 
blending of blood brought about remarkable success, and Jeffries 
produced numerous famous animals. Cotmore (376), by Sovereign, 
which he bred, has been classed as one of the finest Hereford 
bulls of history. 

Foundation Herefords of importance are the following : Silver 
Cow of Richard Tomkins ; Pigeon and Mottle of Benjamin Tom- 
kins the Elder; Wellington (4), Silver Bull (41), Slit Teat Cow, 
Storrell, Old Rose, and Old Lovely of Benjamin Tomkins the 
Younger ; Toby Pigeon, by Toby (5), of John Price ; Red Rose, 
by Chance (348), of John Hewer. These were really foundation 
stock in the early establishment of the breed. Among other very 
important Hereford males that had a great influence on the 
breed in England in the last century may be mentioned Sovereign 
(404), Old Wellington (507), Old Silver (540), Waxy (403), 
Cotmore (376), Lottery (410), Chance (348), Sir David (349), 
Walford (871), Sir Benjamin (1387), Sir Thomas (2228), Horace 
{2)'^77), Winter De Cote (4253), and Lord Wilton (4740). It is 
said of Sovereign (404) that in his day he was acknowledged to 
be " the best bull ever bred in the county of Hereford, and the 
sire and grandsire of more prize cattle at Smithfield and else- 
where than any other bull in the kingdom." These bulls are insep- 
arably associated with the development of the breed in England. 

The introduction of the Hereford to America first occurred, so 
far as records show, in 18 17, when Henry Clay imported a young 
bull, a cow, and a heifer to his home at Lexington, Kentucky, 
About 1825 Admiral Coffin of the British Navy sent the bull 
Sir Isaac and a cow as a gift to the Massachusetts Society for 



THE HEREFORD 



257 



Promoting Agriculture. Later other importations followed in a 
small way. In 1840 W. H. Sotham, a native of Herefordshire, 
England, who had previously emigrated to America, imported to 
Albany, New York, in partnership with Erastus Corning, Jr., 
21 cows and heifers and a two-year-old bull. This importation was 
followed by others in 1843, 1852-1853, and 1861-1862. Sotham 
worked hard to promote the breed, but neither the Kentucky, 
Massachusetts, nor New York importations awoke enthusiasm. 
Captain Pendleton of Maine also imported 2 calves in 1846, and 




Fu;. 105. Earl of Shadeianci 22a 27147, by Garfield 7015, the champion Here- 
ford bull of 1888, known as " The Record Breaker." One of the famous bulls 
of his day. Held by "Uncle" John Lewis, long the successful manager of the 
great Shadeland herd at Lafayette, Indiana, now dispersed. From photograph 

by the author 



in 1852 John Humphries and Thomas Aston, coming as new set- 
tlers to Ohio from England, brought with them 7 Herefords. In 
i860 F, W, Stone of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, began importing 
and became a most important factor in promoting the breed in 
that country. Later, about 1875, T. L. Miller of Beecher, Illinois, 
became interested. He was a man of wealth and ability and did 
much to introduce Herefords into the West and insist on the 
public recognizing the merits of the breed for the range country. 
Miller exhibited at fairs, and in 1877 his cattle attracted the atten- 
tion of CM. Culbertson of Illinois and Adams Earl, Moses Fowler, 
and W. S. Van Natta of Indiana, all of whom became noted breeders 



258 CATTLE 

and importers. In 1879 Culbertson imported 13 head and in 1880 
over 100 of the choicest quahty and breeding. 

Hereford characteristics. This breed has undergone more of 
an evolution and made more improvement than any other beef 
breed in America. In 1788 Marshall gave the following descrip- 
tion of the breed, which sixty years later Youatt stated was 
tolerably correct. 

The countenance pleasant, cheerful, open ; the forehead broad ; eye full and 
lively ; horns bright, taper, and spreading ; head small ; chap lean ; neck long 
and tapering ; chest d^ep ; bosom broad and projecting forward ; shoulder 
bone thin, flat, no way protuberant in bone (?), but full and mellow in flesh ; 
chest full ; loin broad ; hips standing wide and level with the chine ; quarters 
long and wide at the neck ; rump even with the level of the back and not 
drooping nor standing high and sharp above the quarters; tail slender and 
neady haired ; barrel round and roomy ; the carcass throughout deep and well 
spread ; ribs broad, standing flat and close on the outer surface, forming a 
small, even barrel, the hindmost large and full of length ; round bone small, 
snug, and not prominent ; thigh clean and regularly tapering : legs upright 
and short ; bone below the knee and hock small ; feet of middle size ; flank, 
large ; flesh everywhere mellow, soft, and yielding pleasantly to the touch, 
especially on the chine, the shoulder, and the ribs ; hide mellow, supple, of a 
middle thickness, and loose on the neck and buckle ; coat neatly haired, bright, 
and silky ; color a middle red with a bald face, characteristic of the true 
Herefordshire breed. 

While this description has an important application to the 
Hereford of to-day, in certain respects the breed has been 
materially improved over what it was twenty-five years ago. 

The head of the bull is different in type from that of other 
breeds, being rather short and broad, both in forehead and muz- 
zle, and often dished of face, crowned with white or waxy yellow 
horns, which spring forward and down in a semicircular curve. 
The head of the cow is more refined, and the horns commonly 
curve around and upward, the tips pointing forward. The neck vsy 
often too full at the throat and shows excessive dewlap, esjjecially 
with the bulls, but commonly blends smoothly into the shoulders. 

The sho?ilder is most beautifully laid and covered with flesh, 
this being a Hereford characteristic scarcely equaled by any other 
breed. The spring and depth of rib and consequent expansion 
of body is striking, and a wide, long loin and thickness and depth 



THE HEREFORD 



259 



of chest clearly account for the vigor and constitution so univer- 
sally acknowledged for this breed. The nnnp often lacks in 
levelness and fullness, while the thighs are frequently thin and 
pared off, being deficient in thickness and depth. These defi- 
ciencies, however, have been materially bred out in many herds, 
so that the criticisms do not have the weight they formerly did, 
although even to-day the fore part of the Hereford usually 
delights the critics, while the hind part often meets with un- 
favorable comment. The successful Hereford winners in the 
important shows of to-day exhibit fullness behind as well as in 
front and bear evidence 
of the improvement se- 
cured by modern con- 
structive breeding. 

The skin and hait' of 
the Hereford are distin- 
guishing features of the 
breed. The skin should 
be thick, mellow, and 
elastic, and the hair fine. 
Commenting on this sub- 
ject, one of the greatest 
British breeders ^ says : 
"One thing each Here- 
ford breeder should par- 
ticularly study in choosing the sire and dam, and therefore the 
offspring, is to try to keep that thick mellow hide and the soft 
curly coat that are principal characteristics of the well-bred Here- 
ford. It is a sort of special feature of the breed, showing its 
aptitude to fatten." The coat of hair in cold weather is usually 
thicker and more curly than with any other breed, excepting Gal- 
loway and West Highland, furnishing abundant protection from 
cold and storm. 

As milk producers the cows average below medium and are 
specially open to criticism. No class of breeders carry so many 
nurse cows on the show circuit as do the Hereford men. 




Fig. lod. I )aU- iMi_(,s I . I)\ ( ■,i|iiiiil)Lis ^'875, one 
of the greatest Hereford bulls in the history 
of the breed, both as sire and show bull. Bred 
by Clem Graves, Bunker Ilill, Indiana. From 
photograph by the author 



1 William Tudge, LheeJers'' Gazette, July 3, 191: 



26o CATTLE 

In temperament Herefords are less docile than Shorthorns 
under similar conditions and do not so readily accustom them- 
selves to the confinement of limited quarters where grazing is 
not abundant. 

The color of the Hereford is one of its most distinguishing 
features. As has already been shown, a century ago there was 
considerable range of color, and the first English herdbook 
classified the cattle into four groups — mottle-faced, light gray, 
dark gray, and red with white face. In the development of the 
breed the trend has been to secure uniformity of color. This, as 
seen to-day, shows in varying degree pure white hair over the face 
and head, breast, top of neck and withers, and legs below knee 
and hock, along the belly and udder and switch, the remainder 
of the body being red. The amount of white seen on different 
animals in a large herd will vary, some being marked in a much 
more pronounced degree than others. The color varies from a 
light yellow-red to a dark cherry, a medium, soft tone of red 
being preferred. 

The size of the Hereford places this breed in the large class of 
cattle. From very early times great scale has been sought, and it is 
said that the bull Wellington in 1 8 1 5 weighed 291 2 pounds and the 
cow Silk in 1820 weighed 2000 pounds. Cotmore (376), first-prize 
bull in 1839 at the English Royal, it is claimed, ^ based on official 
record, weighed 35 hundredweight, or 3920 pounds, the maximum 
weight for a British bull. The bull The General (125 1) is also 
reported to have weighed 3640 pounds when six years old. A 
circular issued by the American Hereford Cattle Breeders' Asso- 
ciation states that the breed is not excelled in size, either at early 
age or maturity, by any breed and that it is not uncommon for 
bulls to weigh from 2800 to 3000 pounds and for mature cows 
to weigh a ton. The following are given as the average weights 
for a period of five years of Herefords of different ages shown at 
the American Royal Live-Stock Show at Kansas City : aged bulls, 
2238 pounds; two-year-old bulls, 191 1; senior yearling bulls, 
1439 ; junior yearling bulls, 1318 ; senior bull calves, 979 ; junior 
bull calves, 748; aged cows, 1689; two-year-old heifers, 15 17; 
senior yearling heifers, 1269; junior yearling heifers, 1128; 

^ Alvin II. Sanders, The Story of the Herefords. Chicago, 1914. 



THE HEREFORD 



261 



senior heifer calves, 828 ; junior heifer calves, 634 pounds. These 
weights are of show-ring animals and naturally are materially- 
heavier than those in ordinary flesh. 

The Herefords as meat producers have always ranked high. 
For many years their meat held the highest place at the Smith- 
field market in London. At the first fifty-two annual meetings 




P'k;. 107. Black's Ohio Champion, a grade yearhng Hereford range steer, held 
by the noted feeder, D. W. Black, Lyndon, Ohio. Bred by Swenson Brothers of 
Texas. One of the grand-champion car lot of feeder calves at the 1904 show 
of the International Live-Stock Exposition. Also one of the first-prize car lot 
of yearlings fed by Mr. Black for the 1905 show. Purchased by the Ohio State 
University. From photograph by the author 



of the Smithfield Club, with various breeds in competition, 185 
prizes went to Hereford steers or oxen and only 190 to all other 
breeds or crosses combined. In recent years, however, the Here- 
ford has not been so uniformly successful, owing to the influence 
of Aberdeen-Angus and Shorthorn, but even to-day it may be 
classed in the first rank. In the carcass contests on fat cattle at the 
International during the period between 1907 and 19 17 the Here- 
fords did not attain first honors, securing second on two-year-olds 



262 CATTLE 

in 191 1, third on yearlings in 1907, 1908, and 1910; and fifth 
on two-year-olds in 19 17, the latter being on the steer Hazford 
Lad 6th, shown by Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr., weighing 1650 
pounds alive, dressing out 68.91 per cent. In 19 10 the third-prize 
yearling Mirko, shown by the University of Nebraska, weighing 
1332 pounds, dressed out the high percentage of 68.09. ^^ the 
Chicago Fat Stock Show the following Hereford grand champion- 
ships were awarded between 1878 and 1892 : 1883, Roan Boy, 
a grade sired by a Hereford bull out of a Shorthorn cow ; 1885, 
the grade Regulus ; 1886, Rudolph J., a pure-bred; 1891, Hick- 
ory Nut, a pure-bred. At the International Live-Stock Exposition 
but few grand championships have been won by Hereford steers. 
In 1901 The Woods Principal, a pure-bred, was grand champion 
over all. In 1903 Challenger, a grade, sired by a Hereford and 
shown by Nebraska University, was grand champion. In 1906 a 
pure-bred calf, Peerless Wilton 39ths Defender, won the high 
honors, and again, in 19 16, a Hereford-Shorthorn grade, Cali- 
fornia P\ivorite, shown by the University of California, was grand 
champion. In the carload lots of fat steers Herefords have been 
shown in large numbers, though these are mostly range-bred. 
Grand-championship honors on carloads have been won as fol- 
lows at the International : in 1901 by D. \V. Black of Ohio with 
a carload of range-bred Herefords ; in 1903 by W. ¥. Herrin of 
Illinois ; in 191 8 by J. W. Frazier of Illinois with calves bred on 
the Texas range. At the American Royal at Kansas City the grand- 
champion load in 19 10 was Herefords. Especially strong exhibits 
of fat cattle and feeders of this breed are shown at the American 
Royal Live-Stock Show at Kansas City, at the Western Stock 
Show at Denver, and at the National Show at Fort Worth, 
Texas. In recent years the Hereford has made a poor showing at 
the British fat-stock shows. 

The early maturity of the Hereford is one of its pronounced 
characteristics. No breed of beef cattle develops more rapidly into 
" baby beef " than this, the calves showing a thickness of fleshing 
and finish that is most attractive. Beyond eighteen months of age 
the tendency is for Herefords to take on some rolls of fat over the 
ribs and show more or less unevenness of fleshing. Compared with 
the Aberdeen-Angus in this regard, they are at some disadvantage. 



THE HEREFORD 



263 



The prepotency of the Hereford is one of its most marked fea- 
tures. Not only is there little variation in type and color markings 
among pure-breds but so dominant are these characteristics that 
when pure-bred bulls are used on grade cows, the offspring appear 
in many instances like pure-breds. So prepotent is the Hereford 
that his smooth shoulder and thin thigh are commonly transmitted 
into the grade herd, 

Hereford cattle for grazers are of the first rank. No other breed 
will sustain itself on the range, depending entirely on grass and 
forage, and will thrive 
so well as this. In- 
heriting a very hardy 
constitution and being 
capable of withstand- 
ing unusual severity of 
winter weather, and 
with a capacity to gain 
in weight and do well 
on a relatively sparse 
feed, the Hereford 
has proved itself to be 
the leading breed for 
the range. It is not 
so well suited to re- 
stricted pastures and 
stable confinement as 
either Shorthorn or 

Aberdeen-Angus, but on the great ranges of the western United 
States and Canada, in Brazil and Argentina, it has no equal. 

The crossbred or grade Hereford is a prime favorite among 
feeders of beef cattle. Beyond the Missouri River and in the 
Southwest Hereford bulls have accomplished remarkable results in 
grading up and improving the common cattle of the range. The 
old-fashioned longhorn Spanish type of cattle of the Southwest 
have disappeared under the improving influence of Hereford 
blood. During the course of years grade Herefords on the range 
have taken on all the characteristics of the pure-breds, and millions 
of these cattle have been transferred from the range country to 




Fk;. 108. Crossbred heifers out of grade Hereford 

cows, sired by an Aberdeen-Angus bull. Bred 

by Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. From 

photograph by the author 



264 CATTLE 

the feed lots of the corn belt, where they have met with great 
favor on account of their hardiness and ease of fattening. The 
influence of the grade Hereford in the feed lot is strikingly 
shown in the large numbers of cattle of this breeding to be seen 
in the stockyards of Chicago, Kansas City, or Fort Worth. 
While crossing of pure-breds is not advised, a one-generation 
cross of Hereford on Shorthorn or Aberdeen-Angus may pro- 
duce a most excellent butcher's beast. 

The prolificacy of the Hereford is a noteworthy feature. There 
are many cases on record of Hereford cows living to extreme 
old age and continuing as active breeders in the meantime. 
Mr. William Tudge writes of a cow in his herd that between 1873 
and 1887 dropped sixteen calves. Mr. Murdo Mackenzie, noted 
as a manager of large cattle-breeding and feeding interests in the 
far western United States and in Brazil, is credited ^ with prefer- 
ring the Hereford on account of its prolificacy. His calf crop, he 
said, usually ran from 70 to 80 per cent when he used Hereford 
bulls. At one time he put in bulls of another breed and the 
calf crop dropped to 40 per cent. A return to the use of Here- 
ford bulls was quickly reflected in the increase in the percentage 
of calves dropped. 

Hereford families of note. While Shorthorn and Aberdeen- 
Angus breeders give the family name based on some foundation 
female, the custom among Hereford breeders is to use the name 
of the sire as indicative of the line of breeding. In reference 
to this subject Mr. A. H. Sanders, long an able and interested 
student of the breed, has written as follows :^ " In so far as they 
use family nomenclature at all, Hereford breeders commonly 
group their breeding animals under heads that convey a definite 
meaning. They have their Wiltons, Anxieties, Grove 3d's, Garfields, 
Beau Donalds, Perfection Fairfaxes, Disturbers, Repeaters, etc., 
thus laying stress where it of right belongs, on the great producing 
bulls." The following families are given as based on lines of 
breeding that have attracted special attention since the opening 
of the present century. 

1 The Hereford, 1917. A pamphlet published by the Atneri'can Hereford 
Journal. 

- The Story of the Hereford (1914), p. 1072. 



THE HEREFORD 



265 



The Anxiety family descends from the imported bull Anxiety 
2238, bred by T. J. Carwardine and imported by C. B, Culberson 
of Illinois in 1879. Anxiety was sired by Longhorns 2239, a very 
successful sire, and out of Helena 2240, one of the best show 
cows of her time. Anxiety was a very superior, thick, smooth 
bull of much quality, and during a short life in America he sired 
a number of most excellent animals, including Anxiety 3d 4466 




Fig. 109. Repeater 2S959S, one of the greatest of twentieth-century Hereford 

sires, the descendants of which have been in great favor. A grand champion in 

his day and a sire of grand champions. Owned by Overton Harris, Harris, 

Missouri. From photograph by courtesy of Mr. Harris 

and Anxiety 4th 9904. These two proved remarkable sires. 
Anxiety 3d was a great heifer getter, and Anxiety 4th sired 
notable bulls and cows, including Don Carlos 33734, Beau Real 
1 1055, and Anxiety Monarch 41216. Beau Donald 58996, one 
of the more recent sires of note, was a grandson of Anxiety 4th 
through Beau Brummel 5 18 17. Prime Lad 1089 11 and Dis- 
turber 139989, famous as sires, were both direct descendants 
from Anxiety 4th. It is doubtful if any family has had so potent 
an influence on the breed in recent years as has this. 



266 CATTLE 

The Beau Donald family descends from Beau Donald 58996, 
referred to above. He was sired by Beau Brummel 5 18 17, a son 
of Don Carlos 33734, by Anxiety 4th. Donna 33035, the dam 
of Beau Donald, was out of Dowager 6th 6932, the mother of 
Don Carlos. It can thus be seen that on both sire's and dam's side 
the Beau Donald family is of Anxiety breeding and so might be 
regarded as a subfamily. Beau Donald was bred by Gudgell and 
Simpson of Missouri in 1893. He was bought as a calf by 
H. B. Watts of Missouri, who sold him in 1897 to W. H. Curtice 
of Kentucky, in whose herd he established the reputation of this 
family. In the hands of Mr. Curtice, Beau Donald sired a large 
number of remarkably good cattle, including some notable sires, 
especially Beau Donald 3d 86140 (the sire of Disturber 139989 
and grandsire of Repeater 289598) and Prince Rupert 79539 
(the sire of Prince Rupert 8th 142701, noted as a show bull 
and sire). This is one of the most popular Hereford families. 

The Corrector family derives its title from the bull Corrector 
48976, calved in 1891 and bred by T, F. B. Sotham of Missouri. 
Corrector was sired by imported Harold 21 141, his breeding 
extending back to the famous Horace, while Regulus was sire of 
Harold's dam. Coral 13526, the dam of Corrector, was a great 
breeding as well as show cow. During the twelve years of his 
life Corrector sired many sons and daughters, among which were 
the famous prize winners Benefice 78825, Benita 58542, Sir 
Bredwell 63685 (that sold for $5000), and Thickset 68785 (that 
sold for $5100). From 1894 to 1903 inclusive 104 Corrector 
bulls sold for $45,520 and 85 females for $32,920. Many of 
the cattle of Corrector breeding found their way to the range 
herds of the Far West, where they were absorbed, the family 
line largely disappearing. 

The Disturber family is named from the bull Disturber 
139989, a son of Beau Donald 3d 86140, he by Beau 
Donald and out of Columbia T^JJC), a daughter of Columbus 
51875. This family combines the blood of Beau Donald on the 
sire's side and runs back to Garfield 7015, four generations on 
the dam's side. Disturber was bred by Jesse Adams in 1901 
and bought by John Letham for S. L. Brock of Wisconsin, in 
whose herd he remained until 191 1, when he was bought by 



THE HEREFORD 



267 



C. A, Tow of Iowa. According to Mr. Letham, who was in 
charge of this bull for years/ Disturber was most successful as a 
sire on Kansas Lad Jr. and Prime Lad cows. Through his son 
Distributor 176433 he is grandsire of Repeater 289598, whose 
sons and daughters have attracted much attention. Point Comfort 
14th 337488, very noted as a sire in the South, was also a 
grandson of Disturber through his dam Lady Christine 204806. 
This family represents one of the most popular lines of breeding 
to-day, since it stands 
for the more modern 
type, with well-filled- 
out hind quarters and 
smoothness of finish. 

The Hesiod family 
derives its name from 
the imported bull 
Hesiod 1 1675, bred by 
P. Turner and sired by 
The Grove 3d 2490. A 
son of Hesiod named 
Plesiod 2d 40679, out 
of Anita 33955 —a 
daughter of Harold 
2 1 1 4 1 and half sister of 
Corrector — established 
the fame of this family 

while in the ownership of J. A. Funkhouser of Missouri. Notable 
sons and daughters of his were Hesiod 29th 66304, Hesiod 50th 
76440, Hesiod 58th 86466, Dewdrop 6135 i, and Keepsake 81634. 
Mina 184985, the dam of Repeater 289598, is a great-granddaughter 
of Hesiod 2d. Few families show a better ancestry than does this, 
although it has not been especially prominent in recent years. 

The March On family descends from March On 76035, im- 
ported in 1897 by C. S. Cross of Kansas and sired by Lead On 
76967, dam Royal Daisy 2d 79943. The breeding of March On 
goes back five generations on the sire's side to Good Boy (7668), 
a noted sire and show bull, and also to Lord Wilton and Grove 3d. 

1 The Story of the Hereford, p. 952. 




Fig. no. Perfection Fairfax 179676, the greatest 
grandson of Dale, in field condition. Perhaps the 
greatest Hereford sire in the history of the breed 
in America. Owned by W. T. McCray, Kentland, 
Indiana. PVom photograph by the author 



268 CATTLE 

The dam of March On also traces back four generations to 
Grove 3d. March On in yearling age was bought at auction by 
W. S, Van Natta and Son of Indiana, and in their herd this 
family won its reputation. March On 6th 96537, by March On, 
dam Jewel Fowler 49207, by Fowler 12899, was purchased from 
the Van Nattas by J. A. Funkhouser. Jewel Fowler, his dam, 
was also dam of Java 64045, sire of Dolly 5th 71988. In the 
Funkhouser herd the March On family was especially promoted. 
March On 6th was not only a great success in the show yard 
but he was also a distinct success as a sire. Onward 4th 123694, 
by March On 6th, was champion Hereford bull at the 1903 and 
1904 American Royal shows at Kansas City and third aged bull 
in 1904 at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. Onward 31st 
187476, another son, was champion at Kansas City in 1908. At 
the Louisiana Purchase Exposition many prizes were won by 
sons and daughters of March On 6th, including second on get 
of sire and produce of dam. During the first ten years of this 
century this family attained much popularity. 

The Perfection family comes from most illustrious ancestry 
and is named from Perfection 92891, calved in 1898 and bred 
by F. A. Nave of Indiana. Perfection was sired by Dale 66481, 
champion in many shows, and out of Melley May 41752, a 
daughter of Hoosier Tom 7732, by Anxiety 2d. Going back five 
generations on the line of sires we have Dale 66481, Columbus 
51875, Earl of Shadeland 41st 33378, and Garfield 7015, a 
remarkable ancestry. Perfection was repeatedly a first-prize win- 
ner and champion as calf, yearling, and two-year-old. Mr. Thomas 
Clark of Illinois paid $1350 for him as a yearling and later sold 
him at auction to G. H. Hoxie of Illinois for $9000. In 1907 he 
was bought at auction by Colonel Curtice of Kentucky, Perfection 
sired many animals of superior merit, but two of his sons — 
Perfection P'airfax 179767, out of imported Berna 138482, by 
P'airfax 34159, owned by W. T. McCray of Indiana, and Wood- 
ford 500000, out of Belle Donald 114th 267 191, a double grand- 
daughter of Beau Donald, owned by Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr., of 
Kentucky, and for which he paid $12,000 — are his most famous 
sons. In the opinion of many breeders Perfection Fairfax is 
the greatest Hereford sire in the history of the breed and is by 



THE HEREFORD 



269 



many regarded as the founder of a family itself. Calved in 
1903 and used for many years in a herd of unusual excellence, 
Perfection Fairfax has sired a large number of sons and daughters 
which have been bought at high prices. At the sale of Mr. McCray 
on May 22, 19 18, fourteen of his sons averaged $5216 and ten of 
his daughters $2870 each. In the 19 19 sale of Mr. McCray 20 
bulls (all sons of Perfection Fairfax) averaged $7955, and 22 of 




-^ 



Fig. III. Riciic..>-. i ..,,,.... ^.i^.,' 7. -> IV.iLLiiuii l-'airtax 179676. Sold b) L. A. 
Pinnard to Ferguson Brothers, Canby, Minnesota, for $50,000. One of the promi- 
nent present-day sires. From a photograph by courtesy of Ferguson Brothers 

his daughters averaged $3436. Luther Fairfax 688971 brought 
$19,000; Admiral Fairfax 633408 brought $20,500; Hugo Fair- 
fax 608229 brought $23,000; and Baron Fairfax 547771 sold for 
$24,000. Another son, Richard Fairfax 449317, sold in March, 
19 19, at private sale for $50,000, as set forth on page 273. While 
Perfection blood has been widely used in Hereford families, Beau 
Donald breeding has seemed to blend with it especially well. 

The Prime Lad family finds its so-called beginning in the bull 
Prime Lad 108911, bred by W. S. Van Natta and Son, calved in 
1900, sired by Kansas Lad, Jr. 75104, and out of Primrose 



270 CATTLE 

80150, by Marplot 82782. Prime Lad, through his sire and 
grandsire, Kansas Lad 36932, goes back to Beau Real 11055, 
by Anxiety 4th, a truly great line of sires. Prime Lad won 
many prizes in the show ring, the more important being the 
breed championship at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition and 
at the International Live-Stock Exposition in 1904. As a sire, 
in the hands of Van Natta and Son, he was a great success, 
siring many notable prize winners, including Prime Lad i6th 
213969, out of Lorna Doone 94479 (champion at the Louisiana 
Purchase Plxposition), and Prime Lad 9th 213963, out of Leonora 
137722 (another daughter of Lorna Doone), by March On 76035. 
Gay Lad 6th 316936, by Prime Lad i6th, out of Sister Per- 
fection 139658 sired by Dale 66481 and out of Melley May 
(also the dam of Perfection Fairfax), in the hands of O. Harris 
of Missouri, attained great fame as the progenitor of a line of 
Gay Lads of much merit. Gay Lad 6th was champion bull of 
the breed at the American Royal and the International in 1910 
and 191 1, and his son Gay Lad 40th 503718, junior champion 
in 19 1 6 at the American Royal, at the O. Harris and Sons 
sale in 1917, sold for $11,900. Since 1904 Prime Lads have 
been in special favor. The Prime Lad and Beau Donald families 
have been blended to great advantage. 

Noted Hereford sires prior to 1900 may be traced in the history 
of the breed during the previous century. Two great epoch- 
making sires of long ago were Sovereign (404), calved in 1820, 
and Sir David (349), calved in 1845. Sir Benjamin (1387), a son 
of Sir David, was also a sire of great renown. Coming to a more 
recent date. Lord Wilton (4740) 4057, calved in 1873 (a de- 
scendant of Sir David), and Horace (3877) 2492, calved in 1867, 
have been rated as two of the greatest bulls in the history of the 
breed in England. Hereford sires of particular note in America 
date back only to the time of T. L. Miller. From about 1880 
many animals of much merit were imported. Among these 
history accords high place to Success 2, by Banquo 4 ; Sir 
Richard 2d 970a, by Sir Oliver 2d (1733) ; The Grove 3d 2490 ; 
Sir Bartle P"rere 6419, by Lord Wilton (4740) 4057 ; Garfield 
7015, by Quickset 6853; Anxiety 2238, by Longhorns 2236; 
and Tregehan 6203, by Assurance 4589. Among American-bred 



THE HEREFORD 271 

Herefords the following in particular are of distinction : Fowler 
12899, by Tregehan ; Anxiety 4th 9904, by Anxiety; Corrector 
48975, by Harold 21 141 ; Peerless Wilton 12774, by Garfield; 
Dale 66481, by Columbus 51875 ; Earl of Shadeland 22d 27147 
and Earl of Shadeland 41st 33478, both by Garfield. After 
making a study of the winners at the various American Royal 
and International Exposition shows up to and including 19 17, 




Fig. 112. Lorna Doone 94479, by Christopher 69072. Grand-champion Hereford 

COT/ at the Louisiana Purchase 'Exposition, 1904, and at various other leading 

exhibitions, and noted as a great specimen of the breed. Bred and owned by 

W. S. Van Natta & Son. From photograph by the author 

L. H. Riggs gives the following,^ as all things considered, the 
greatest Hereford sires in order of merit: (i) Perfection Fairfax, 
(2) Beau Donald, (3) Prime Lad, (4) Disturber, (5) Lamplighter, 
(6) March On 6th, (7) Corrector, (8) Repeater, (9) Benjamin Wilton. 
Prices paid for Herefords have passed through wide extremes. 
In their native home the breed has long been valued for export, 
and prices have generally ruled strong. In 1884 Lord Wilton 
(4740) sold at auction for $19,000, but the buyer could not cash 
his bid, so the bull was later sold to William Tudge and Thomas 
Fenn for $5000. In the United States public-auction sales show 

^American Hereford /oicrnal {]une 15, 1918), p. 144. 



272 CATTLE 

the low average in 1891 of $68.23, with a gradual increase up 
to 1898, when 1345 head averaged $300.18. From this time 
values declined, until 1905, when 1179 head averaged $115.25. 
Since 1905, however, Hereford values have steadily increased, 
more recently going up in unusual degree. " In 19 17," says 
Hayes Walker,^ "a total of 3266 bulls sold at public auction for 
an average of $508, while so far this year 2518 bulls have sold 
in public sales for a general average of $400. Last year 5888 
females sold at public auction for a general average of $485, 
while so far this year 4073 females have brought a general aver- 
age of $550." Among the notable American sales the following 
are of interest. In 1902 at the sale of Clem Graves of Indiana, 
the bull Crusader 86596 sold for $10,000 and the cow Dolly 2d 
61799 foi" ^/ooO) the highest prices for this breed in America 
up to that time. In January, 1902, Perfection 92891 sold in the 
Thomas Clark sale at Chicago to G. H. Hoxie for $9000. In 19 13 
Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr., bought the bull Woodford 500000, by 
Perfection, for $1 2,400. Woodford was burned to death in his stall 
in 19 1 8. On March i, 19 16, O. Harris and Sons of Missouri 
held a sale, when 61 head averaged $1246, six sons of Repeater 
289598 averaging $3642. On February 28 and March i, 1917, 
the same firm held another sale, in which 144 head brought 
$184,450, a new record in Hereford values, an average of $1281 
per head. Gay Lad 40th 503718 selling for $11,900 and Bonnie 
Brae 60th 413606 for $10,050. In December, 19 16, at a 
combination sale at the International at Chicago, Woodford 6th 
505407, by Woodford 500000, sold for $15,100 to N. J. Camden 
of Kentucky. In 191 7 the bull Ardmore 566000 was sold by 
Walter L. Yost of Missouri to W. R. and W. A. Pickering of the 
same state for $31,000, the top price for a Hereford bull up to 
19 1 8. For some years W. T. McCray of Indiana has held remark- 
able sales, and on May 22, 1918, he sold 75 head for $204,175, 
an average of $2722, only two animals selling for as little as $1000. 
On June 7, 191 8, all previous records were broken at the sale of 
E, H. Taylor, Jr., when 62 head brought $186,850, an average 
of $3013. At this sale imported Clive Iris 3d 545495 brought 
the record price of $13,850 for a Hereford cow. Two other high 

^ American IlereforJ Journal, June 15, 1918. 



THE HEREFORD 273 

records were made on cows, Maple Lass 5 7th 5 1 24 1 1 bringing 
$7700 and Princess H. 609673 reaching $7800. The price of 
$6300 paid for Columbia March On 543883 at Mr. McCray's 
sale in May was the high price for a Hereford cow up to that 
date. On January 7, 19 19, Mousel Brothers of Nebraska broke 
all previous Hereford sale records, selling 50 head for a total of 
$192,250, an average of $3845. The three-year-old bull Superior 
Domino 557924 sold to Mrs. William Braddock of Nebraska for 
$21,000, and the aged cow Mariana 8th 416438 to Fritz Bichel 
of Nebraska for 1^7200, Early in March, 19 19, the bull Richard 
Fairfax 449317, by Perfection Fairfax and out of Real Lady 
238518, by Beau Real 18 1680, was sold by L, A. Pinard of South 
Dakota to Ferguson Brothers of Canby, Minnesota, for $50,000, 
which created a new high record of Hereford values. Finally, on 
May 21 and 22, 1919, Mr. McCray held a world-record sale for 
beef cattle, 120 head bringing $436,250, an average of $3635. 
The first 50 head in the sale averaged $5360, and 42 sons and 
daughters of Perfection P'airfax averaged $5591. One cow, Miss 
Dale F"armer 512485, was bought by Z. M. Crane of Dalton, 
Massachusetts, for $10,500. Two bulls brought very high prices 
in England in 1918 — Ringer (31920), by Starlight, selling for 
$45,000 at the sale of S. C. Hayter ; and Resolute, by Ringer, 
selling for $40,000 to T. R. Thompson of Wales. 

The distribution of the Hereford is very wide. In Great Britain 
it is chiefly bred in Herefordshire and vicinity, though herds are 
kept with success in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. The Hereford, 
however, is best adapted to a grazing region of a fair degree of 
level surface, and its introduction to the plains of Australia, New 
Zealand, Argentine Republic, Canada, and the United States has 
met with very great success. No breed equals the Hereford for 
withstanding the vicissitudes of the great ranges, where winter's 
cold and scarcity of feed frequently obtain. The thick coat of 
hair, robust constitution, and easy-keeping quality of the breed 
make it unusually suited to such conditions. For the restricted 
surroundings of the Eastern farm, where grazing is not so abun- 
dant, the Hereford is not so well suited. Yet in New England, 
and especially in Maine, Herefords have long been popular. The 
oxen of this breed have for many years met with favor on the hills 



274 



CATTLE 



of New England. While the Hereford is widely bred in the 
United States, it is most popular in Texas, Missouri, Iowa, 
Kansas, Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, 
Oklahoma, Minnesota, New Mexico, Utah, Indiana, Kentucky, 
Tennessee, and INIississippi. 

The promotion of Hereford cattle interests is well established 
in England and the United States. The " Hereford Herdbook " 




Fig. 113. Four calves sired by the Hereford bull Wyoming 505146. A fine 

example of breed character. From photograph by Hildebrand, through courtesy 

of W. N. W. Blayney, Denver, Colorado, owner of Wyoming 



was first published in 1846 by T. C. Eyton, and in 1884 the 
Hereford Cattle Breeders' Association of England was organized 
and took over the publication of the herdbook, of which fifty 
volumes have been published up to 1919. T. L. Miller of Illinois 
published in 1881 the first "American Hereford Herdbook," and 
the same year the American Hereford Breeders' Association was 
organized. Up to January i, 19 19, there had been published 
forty-eight volumes, showing a registration of 686,000 animals. 

In Canada there is a Hereford Association, which up to 19 18 
has published nine volumes, with registrations up to 28,800 head. 



THE HEREFORD 275 

In 1883 there were but 2500 Herefords of record in the United 
States, but on June 11, 191 8, this number had increased to 
711,485. During the year 191 8 there were recorded on the 
books of the American Hereford Breeders' Association 92,526 
registrations and 76,018 transfers, thus giving evidence of a very 
large amount of activity with the breed in America. At the end 
of six months, in 19 19, the American Association showed a total 
membership on its books of 10,000, as compared with 4305 
stockholders at the end of 19 10. In addition to the American 
Hereford Cattle Breeders' Association, there are many local state 
and community associations for promoting the breed, nearly fifty 
being on record up to 19 18. An important medium for promoting 
the breed is the Ajiicrican HorfoTd Joiirnal, established in 1909, 
published semimonthly at Kansas City, Missouri. 

Polled Herefords 

The origin of Polled Herefords dates back only twenty-five 
years. Messrs. Mossom Boyd of Bobcaygeon, Ontario, Canada, 
J. L. Torrey of Embar, Wyoming, and W. W. Guthrie of 
Atchison, Kansas, independent of each other sought to develop 
strains of polled Hereford cattle. In 1898 the author saw an 
exhibit of eight head by Mr. Guthrie at the Trans-Mississippi 
Exposition at Omaha, of what he termed " Polled Kansans." 
These had been sired by a polled bull resulting from crossing a 
Hereford bull on a range-bred grade Shorthorn cow. These were 
rather plain cattle. Mr. Boyd attempted to produce polled Here- 
fords by using Aberdeen-Angus bulls on pure-bred Hereford 
cows, and secured some polled animals with Hereford markings. 
C. T. Mercer of Iowa also bred some grade Polled Herefords, using 
a Red Polled bull on Hereford cows. The efforts of Mr. Guthrie, 
in particular, interested Warren Gammon of Iowa, who sent a 
circular letter to twenty-five hundred Hereford breeders, making 
inquiry for such polled cattle. As a result he located six polled 
bulls and ten cows. Of these he purchased the following : the 
bulls Giant 1 01 740, Tony 112173, Wilson 126523, Variation 
152699, Wallace L. 127078, and Too Late, a nonbreeder ; of 
cows, Lora 1 15570, Blue Bell 106983, Duchess of Bedford 22d 



276 



CATTLE 



64437, Myrtic Taylor 56671, Olivia 98 11 2, Charity 66888, and 
Beauty 95357- This furnished the foundation stock of pure-bred 
polled Hereford blood from which this type was developed. Giant 
proved a valuable sire in the Gammon herd. Wilson was bought by 
Mr. Cadwell of Illinois, and later this bull and Variation were used 
in the Boyd herd. Tony was first leased to Mr. Guthrie and later 
bought by him. The first calves in the Gammon herd from this 
polled foundation came in 1902. Polled matings resulted in nearly 

100 per cent polled 
calves, while 50 to 75 
per cent of calves sired 
by polled bulls and out 
of horned cows were 
polled. Among the 
leading early improvers 
and promoters, besides 
those mentioned above, 
are Benjamin Johnson 
of Indiana, George E. 
Ricker of Nebraska, 
Wyoming Experiment 
Station, Elijah Field 
and Son, T. W. Her- 
ron of Ohio, and S. 
W. Anderson of West 
Virginia. 
The type of Polled Hereford is essentially that of the horned 
Hereford but with a true polled head pointed at the top rather 
than broad and rounding over, such as obtains with cattle arti- 
ficially dehorned. The early type of polled Hereford lacked in 
uniformity and did not possess the thick, low-set, blocky form so 
much admired in tJie best beef cattle of to-day. However, steady 
improvement has been made, so that to-day there are polled Here- 
fords that compare favorably with the best of those with horns. 

Two strains of Polled Herefords naturally resulted from the 
breeding above described — those from the use of impure blood, 
such as a pure-bred polled bull on a grade cow, and known as 
single standard ; and those from pure-bred Hereford ancestry, as 




Fig. 114. A Polled Hereford bull used in the herd 
of W. W. Guthrie, Atchison, Kansas. From photo- 
graph, by courtesy of Judge Guthrie, given the 
author in 1901 



THE HEREFORD 



277 



in the Gammon foundation stoclv, and known as double standard. 
As in the case of other breeds of similar ancestry, the double- 
standard breeding steadily grew in favor, finally completely over- 
shadowing the single-standard. 

The promotion of Polled Hereford cattle through a breeding 
association first took place in 1900, when the American Polled 
Hereford Cattle Club was organized at Des Moines, Iowa. Pro- 
vision was made to register and transfer both single- and double- 
standard cattle. In 1907 this club was reorganized, under the 
name of the American 
Polled Hereford Breeders' 
Association, and separate 
herdbooks were provided 
for single- and double- 
standard bred cattle. At 
the time of reorganization 
the association had but five 
members, but this number 
had increased in 19 18 to 
988. In 1902 a National 
Polled Hereford Breeders' 
Association was organized 
in Kansas, but in 191 1 a 
consolidation was effected 
between this and the 

American, continuing under the name of the latter. A herdbook 
is maintained by the association, and up to 19 17 three volumes 
had been published containing 11,200 registrations. 

The distribution of Polled Herefords is widespread. During 
the period from 1901 to 19 18 the number of these cattle has 
increased up to about 20,000, distributed in forty-four states of 
the Union, with Iowa as the central point of importance. Early 
in 191 8 there were 4300 Polled Hereford herds on record, and 
more than 1000 were established in 191 8. In 191 7 there were 
registered 2725 double-standard animals. 

Prices paid for Polled Herefords have reached high levels. 
Prices from $500 to $700 ten years ago were regarded as satis- 
factory, but with the opening of 191 8 the influence of higher 




Fig. 115. Head of Emperor 8874 (763715), a 

Polled Hereford bull in the herd of J. E. Green 

of Indiana. A fine type. 



278 



CATTLE 



values on all live stock was felt. In two sales held in Iowa early 
in February, 230 head averaged $630. At the third annual sale 
of the American Polled Hereford Breeders' Association at Des 
Moines, in 19 18, sixteen bulls averaged $1419, and twenty-six 
cows ^1114.50, the general average being $1230. The top bull 




Fig. T16. A pasture view in Herefordshire. From photograph by the author 

was Polled Repeater 2d 10646, a grandson of Repeater 289598 
on sires and dam's side bringing $4000. Eight head passed the 
$2000 mark. At the fourth sale of the association, in P>bruary, 
1919, fifty head averaged $1163. On March 2(S, 1919, W . A. 
Wilkey & Company, Sullivan, Indiana, bought at auction of the 
Renner Stock Farm of Indiana the seven-year-old bull Bullion 4th 
(3062) 428446 for $9500, the highest price to this date for a 
Polled Hereford. 



CHAPTER XXVII 

THE ABERDEEN-ANGUS 

The native home of the Aberdeen-Angus breed of cattle is in 
northeastern Scotland, especially in the counties of Aberdeen, 
Kincardine, and Forfar. In southern Aberdeen, in the Buchan 
district, the breed was long known as "Buchan humlies," while in 
the section of Forfar known as Angus these cattle were called 
"Angus Doddies." The words "homyl," "humble," "humle," 
"doddie," and "dodded" are the Scotch terms for polled, or horn- 
less. This section of Scotland is north of 56° and lies about a 
thousand miles north of the latitude of Chicago. The climate is 
rather damp and cold much of the time. The land is hilly or 
mountainous in the main, part of it being better suited to grazing 
than anything else, though roots, barley, oats, and hay are quite 
extensively produced. 

The origin of the Aberdeen- Angus is purely speculative. Among 
the wild white cattle of Britain were polled animals, and the 
Aberdeen-Angus may have descended from these. Some of the 
Scotch writers incline to the belief that this breed is a sport from a 
black breed with horns, which formerly existed in Scotland. Horn- 
less cattle have been known in Scotland for long over a century. In 
an account book kept by a Mr. Graham record is made June 9, 1752, 
of purchasing a two-year-old heifer "doded." The first printed 
reference to hornless cattle in Angus is dated 1797 in the Old 
Statistical Account of the parish of Bendochy, where it is said of 
1229 cattle in the parish "many of them are dodded, wanting 
horns." 

Professor Wilson states^ that "early in the eighteenth century 
there sprang up in England a demand for hornless cattle which 
was responded to first in Galloway and considerably later in the 
northeastern counties. The result was that breeders elected to 
breed from hornless cattle ; and hornlessness, which had hitherto 

1 James Wilson, The Evolution of British Cattle, p. 53. London, 1909. 

279 



28o CATTLE 

been practically confined to the country near the coast, moved 
farther and farther inland. By Youatt's time (1834) the horned 
and the hornless cattle were almost numerically equal in the interior 
of the northeastern counties, while the hornless ones were still 
in the majority on the coast. A quarter of a century later the horns 
had been almost entirely removed from the inland black cattle." 

About 1835 Youatt wrote "that there have always been polled 
cattle in Angus" and states that about 1775 attention was first 
directed to them by enterprising farmers, Mr. William Forbes of 
Aberdeenshire, writing Macdonald and Sinclair over thirty years 
ago, mentions two sorts of polled cattle common in l^uchan about 
the beginning of the last century. One of these was a rather 
small, puny type, thin-fleshed, such as the crofters (small-farm 
renters) kept ; the other a larger kind, some black, some brindled, 
which more readily submitted to Shorthorn blood than did the 
former but lacked its power of reproduction of polled character. 

The earliest improvers of Aberdeen-Angus cattle are of a com- 
paratively recent period and are limited in number. Among those of 
greatest note were the following : in Forfarshire : William Watson, 
William Fullerton of Ardovie, Lord Southesk,and Alexander Bowie 
of Mains of Kelly ; in Kincardine : Robert Walker of Portlethen 
Mains, Mr. Hector of Fernyflatt, Sir Thomas Burnett of The 
Leys, and Mr. Mclnroy of The Burn and Portlethen ; in Aber- 
deenshire : William McCombie, Colonel Fraser of Castle Fraser, 
Mr. Walker of Ardhundcart, and Mr. Cooper of Hillbrae ; in 
Banff : Sir John Macpherson Grant of Ballindalloch, Mr. Brown 
of Westertown, Mr. Walker of Montbletton, and Mr. Patterson 
of Mulben. Of the above improvers several were great constructive 
breeders and deserve special consideration. 

Hugh Watson of Keillor, Meigle, Forfar, was the first really 
great Aberdeen-Angus improver — the Colling of this breed. He 
was born in 1789, became a tenant at Keillor in 1808, and 
remained there fifty-six years, dying in 1865. His father and 
grandfather were lovers of good cattle, and when Hugh went to 
Keillor he took six cows and a bull, all black, with him. He also 
bought the same year, at Brechin, ten of the best heifers of various 
colors that he could find and a black bull named T::rnty Jock. 
Most writers assume that Watson began his work of improvement 



THE ABERDEEN-ANGUS 



281 



on settling at Keillor, but his daughter states that this did not 
begin until about 181 5 or 18 16, his ambition being aroused by a 
visit to the English Shorthorn country. Watson in-and-in bred 
and produced a more early-maturing, heavier-fleshed, blockier 
type that dressed out better than ever before. He also empha- 
sized family lines and bred each family rather within itself. His 
bull Old Jock (I), cr.lvcd in 1842, a great-grandson of Tarnty 




Fig. 117. Blackcap Bertram 183787, a noted Aberdeen-Angus show bull and sire. 

Sold by C. D. and E. F. Caldwell, Burlington Junction, Missouri, for $45,000 to 

L. B. McCanum, Aledo, Illinois. From photograph by Hildebrand, by courtesy 

of Caldwell and Caldwell 



Jock, was his most valuable sire, possessing remarkable quality 
and constitution, and was a noted show animal. Watson's most 
famous cow, Old Grannie (i), was one of the wonders of the 
bovine race. It is thought that this cow was among the original 
six bought by Watson, and that he secured her from a breeder 
in Kincardineshire. She lived to be thirty-six years old and had 
twenty-five calves, the last a bull of merit, named Hugh (130), 
being dropped in her twenty-ninth year. Referring to Watson as 
a breeder Mr. McCombie^ pays him the following high compliment : 

1 William McCombie, Cattle and Cattle Breeders. Edinburgh, 1S69. 



282 CATTLE 

"We all look up to him as the first great improver, and no one 
will question his title to this distinction. There is no herd in the 
country which is not indebted to the Keillor blood." The first 
great show of black polled cattle was made in 1829 at Perth, 
and all the animals but one were shown by Watson, who con- 
tinued a most successful exhibitor at various Scotch shows until 
1852, when he discontinued exhibiting. 

William McCombie was born at Tillyfour, Aberdeen, in 1805 
and died in 1880, a few months before the dispersal of his herd. 
In 1830 he began a polled herd purchased from the best breeders 
of the time, consisting of "Aberdeens" from St. John's Wells 
and Wester Fintray, and "Angus" from Keillor, Balwyllo, Dal- 
gairns, and elsewhere. He was a great believer in the importance 
of individual merit coupled with superior pedigree, and empha- 
sized the value of the sire. At William Fullerton's sale he bought 
Queen Mother (348), from which he developed the famous Queen 
tribe. McCombie bred Pride of Aberdeen (581), the founder of 
the Pride family and one of the most famous show cows of the 
breed. McCombie improved on the work of Watson and became 
his worthy successor. His success in the show ring was mar- 
velous. He not only exhibited at the leading Scotch shows but 
also in France on four different occasions, always with eminent 
success. In 1878 his herd at the Paris International Exposition 
won the grand championship against all breeds and attracted 
international attention. Many regard McCombie as the most dis- 
tinguished improver and promoter of the breed. 

William Fullerton was born in 18 10, founded a herd at 
Ardovie in 1833, and died in 1880. McDonald and Sinclair 
state 1 that when he secured possession of the home farm in 1833 
there were three black cows on the place, and intending to estab- 
lish a herd of " doddies " he went to Brechin market and made 
his first purchase, this being the cow Black Meg {766), later to 
become one of the famous animals of the breed. In 1841 Mr. 
F'ullerton bought the bull Panmure (51) at Lord Panmure's sale, 
which he bred to a daughter of Black Meg known as Queen of 
Ardovie (29), from which union resulted Queen Mother (348), 
that was sold as a yearling to McCombie. The Ardovie herd was 

1 History of Aberdeen- Angus Cattle. London, 1910. 



THE ABERDEEN-ANGUS 



283 



destroyed by pleuro-pneumonia in 1849- 18 50, but during his day 
Mr. Fullerton was regarded as a foremost constructive breeder. 

Sir George Macpherson Grant of Ballindalloch, Banffshire, who 
died in 1907, was long a noted breeder. In 1869 Mr. McCombie 
wrote that " perhaps the BaUindalloch herd of polled cattle are 
the oldest in the North ; they have been the talk of the country 
since my earliest recollection, and were then superior to all other 
stock," Since the time of McCombie this has been regarded as 
the premier herd of Scotland. Here some of the best bulls of the 
breed produced in the past forty years have been bred, including 
J uryman (421), Ermine 
Bearer 1749, Prince 
Inca (7844), Bush- 
ranger (732), Justice 
854, Judge473, Prince 
Ito (50006), Eltham 
(9120), Bion 36986, 
Emulus 20417, Eblito 
50098, Eblamere 

(2 1 781), and Eques- 
trian 34216. The cows 
Erica 184, Jilt 422, 
and Coquette 2538 
are among the famous 
founders of families at 
Ballindalloch. On the death of Sir George Macpherson Grant 
his son Sir John succeeded him and is maintaining the herd. 

The introduction of Aberdeen- Angus cattle to America was com- 
paratively recent. In 1873 George Grant of Victoria, Kansas, 
brought the first to America, the importation being three bulls, 
two of w^hich were shown at the Kansas State Fair. These bulls 
were imported to use on Western-range cows. In 1876 the 
Ontario Agricultural College at Guelph brought to Canada two 
bulls and a cow. In 1878 Anderson & F"indlay of Lake Forest, 
Illinois, imported five cows and a bull, this being the first firm 
to exhibit prominently in the Central West. In 1879 ^- ^- Red- 
field of Batavia, New York, and in 1880 George Whitfield of 
Rougemont, Quebec, made importations. In 1881 and 1882 a 




Fig. 118. Everard 2d of Maismore (3188S), the 
most noted recent-day Aberdeen-Angus show bull 
in England. From photograph by the author in 1914 



284 CATTLE 

number of importations were made, including a very superior lot 
by Gudgell & Simpson of Missouri. In 1882 Mr. T. W. Harvey 
established at Turlington, Nebraska, in charge of William Watson 
(a son of the famous Hugh), a herd of Aberdeen-Angus that for 
ten years, until its dispersion, was a v/onderful factor in advertis- 
ing the breed, containing as it did some of the most noted cattle 
of the time. Between 1880 and 1883 inclusive it is estimated 
that about two thousand Aberdeen-Angus cattle were imported 
to the United States and Canada. 

Characteristics of the Aberdeen- Angus cattle. In general con- 
formation this breed differs somewhat from the Shorthorn and 
Hereford. On this especial subject a leading Scotch authority 
makes an interesting comparison of this breed and the Shorthorn, ^ 
which is well worth presenting here : 

In general form a model polled animal differs considerably from a model 
Shorthorn. Both should be lengthy, deep, wide, even, proportionate, and 
cylindrical. The polled animal, however, should be more truly cylindrical in 
the body than the Shorthorn. Its points should be more quickly rounded off; 
or, in other words, the frame of the polled animal is not so fully drawn out to 
the square as that of the Shorthorn. Critics pointed out in some of the best 
polled animals of about half a century ago a tendency to approach too nearly 
to the square type of the Shorthorn. In a beef producing animal a broad, 
square frame can hardly be said to be a blemish ; for if it is thoroughly well 
covered all over, it will carry more beef than a rounder frame. A compact, well 
rojnded frame has always been a leading characteristic of the polled breed, 
and the main reason why a square Shorthorn-looking frame is objected to in 
a polled animal is that such a form is foreign to the breed. 

The head tapers at the poll and is somewhat prominent in the 
forehead, while the distance between the prominent eyes is con- 
siderable and the length of nose only medium. The head as a 
whole impresses one as belonging to a good feeder type, showing 
a strong, full muzzle and nostril. The neck is usually smoothly 
attached to head and shoulder, showing excellent finish, but the 
shoulder sometimes tends to be a bit prominent instead of nicely 
laid. The back tends to sag some behind the withers, although 
with the best specimens this weakness is not manifest. The ribs, 
as already indicated, show a rounded rather than square turn, and 

1 James Macdonald and James Sinclair, History of Aberdeen-Angus Cattle, 
p. 41S. London, 1910. 



THE ABERDEEN-ANGUS 



285 



the body has a great relative depth with corresponding shortness 
of leg. The Jiips of the Aberdeen-Angus are usually neatly 
covered and well laid in. The rump frequently slopes consider- 
ably to each side of the tail head, which may set level or be a bit 
high, but is usually long and heavily fleshed. The tJiigh and txvist 
carry as great a relative proportion of meat to bone as any breed 
of beef cattle, though it often lacks the squareness of the Short- 
horn at the back thigh, being rounder in outline and very deep 




Fig. 119. Eritus 5th 245516, by Blackcap Bertram 1S37S7, first-prize junior year- 
ling and reserve-champion Aberdeen-Angus female at the 1918 International Live- 
stock Exposition. Photograph by Ilildebrand, by courtesy of the owners of the 
cow, C. D. and E. F. Caldwell, Burlington Junction, Missouri 



in the twist. The leg is usually short and fine in quality of bone 
and joint. In quality this breed is of the first rank, as shown by 
the mellow, elastic, medium thick skin, the fine coat of hair, and 
moderate joints and small bone. Compared with the Galloway 
the Aberdeen-Angus has a smoother, shorter coat of hair and 
generally a shorter, blockier type of body, with more spring and 
depth of rib. The temperament, in general, is more nervous than 
that of the Shorthorn. 

The color of Aberdeen-Angus cattle is almost universally black, 
though red occurs at rare intervals. In the early days of the 



286 CATTLE 

breed the colors were variable — brindle, brown, striped, and red 
being common. A century or more ago, according to Professor 
Wilson,^ there were colors and markings among them not now 
seen at all, such as dun, yellow, "silver-colored yellow" as given 
by Youatt, and white stripes along the back and belly. Thirty 
years ago a red calf, a calf with white face markings or with 
white flecks on the body, was not uncommon. At the present 
time, however, pure reds are occasionally seen, and white about 
the rear of the underline is rather common, but the process of 
selection and improvement has fixed more and more firmly the 
uniform solid black color now so characteristic of the breed. The 
subject of color is given official recognition by the American 
Aberdeen-Angus Breeders' Association, for under the rules 
" males red in color, or with a noticeable amount of pure white 
above the underline, or on leg or legs, or with scurs, shall not 
be eligible to entry for breeding purposes." A black cod is pre- 
ferred in the bull, but white udders with cows, with some white 
between navel and udder on females, are not objectionable. Red 
cows may be registered, however, and also black ones with small 
white spots on head, body, or legs. 

The weight of Aberdeen-Angus cattle compares favorably- with 
the Shorthorn and Hereford, although as a rule they are not quite 
so heavy. In 191 2 B. O. Cowan gave some interesting compari- 
sons of Aberdeen-Angus and Shorthorn weights as taken at the 
American Royal at Kansas City and at the International at 
Chicago.^ At the former show, in but one of twenty-four classes 
did the average weight of the Aberdeen-Angus entries equal that 
of the Shorthorns. In senior yearling bulls the Aberdeen-Angus 
average was 1473 pounds and the Shorthorn 1467, while 29 three- 
year-old Aberdeen-Angus bulls averaged 1970 pounds and 41 
Shorthorns 2224 ; 27 two-year-old Aberdeen-Angus bulls aver- 
aged 1787 pounds, 40 Shorthorns, 1917; 54 Aberdeen-Angus 
cows averaged 1505 pounds, 41 Shorthorns 1730; 63 two-year- 
old Aberdeen-Angus cows averaged 141 1 pounds, 46 Shorthorns 
1530, with a corresponding advantage in favor of Shorthorns 
in every class but one. At the International in 1910 a similar 

^ The Evolution of ISritish Cattle, 1909. 
'^ Breeders^ Gazette, October 9, 191 2, p. 722. 



THE ABERDEEN-ANGUS 287 

situation prevailed, the Aberdeen-Angus outweighing the Shorthorn 
in but one class, that of senior yearling bull, the respective weights 
being 1575 and 1574 pounds. Ten aged Aberdeen- Angus bulls 
averaged 2064 pounds, and 11 aged Shorthorns 2281 ; 9 two- 
year-old Aberdeen-Angus bulls averaged 1867 pounds, and 12 
Shorthorns 1980; 13 aged Aberdeen-Angus cows averaged 1641 
pounds, and 10 Shorthorns 1876 ; 14 two-year-old Aberdeen-Angus 
heifers averaged 1425 pounds and 14 Shorthorns 1591. However, 




Fig. 120. Lady of Meadowbrook 21466, by Zaire 5th 13067. A noted Aberdeen- 
Angus show cow, winning the highest awards in 1898, 1899, and 1900 at the lead- 
ing fairs. Owned by D. Bradfute & Son, Xenia, Ohio. From photograph, by 
courtesy of the Xatioiial Stockman and Farmer 

some very large specimens of the breed are recorded. The bull 
Judge is said to have weighed 2800 pounds, and his brother Justice 
in full flesh exceeded 3000. Probably no breed weighs heavier for 
its size than this. 

The maturing qualities of Aberdeen-Angus cattle rank high, 
and in this respect they are fairly comparable with the Shorthorn 
and Hereford. Years ago the maturing qualities were not of the 
best, but any deficiency in that respect has been overcome. Mac- 
donald and Sinclair state that when well fed from their birth 
good specimens of the breed become ripe at the age of from 



288 CATTLE 

twenty-four to twenty-eight months. In the American markets 
feeders showing marked Aberdeen-Angus blood rank well. 

The prolificacy of the Aberdeen-Angus has been testified to by 
the adherents of the breed since the earliest days of its improve- 
ment. Old Grannie has often been cited in this regard on account 
of producing 25 calves during thirty-six years of life. Black Meg 
{766), already referred to, was a breeder up to her twentieth year. 
Zarilda 2d in the Heatherton herd of J. S. Goodwin had 19 calves, 
none being twins, and died as she approached her twenty-fifth 
year. Lintie of Balvenie (6933) was calved in 1883 and dropped 
17 calves during twenty years. Pride of Aberdeen 7th (1777), 
Erica (843), Elba (7045), Bride (13343), Waterside Alexandra 
(7948), and Gay Lass 2d (4723) are on record as being consistent 
breeders up to eighteen or twenty years of age. Seventy-six 
Aberdeen-Angus cows are recorded as having had 12 or more 
calves each, and 26 bulls are said to have sired over 100 calves 
each. His Highness 6th having sired 189. Prolificacy may fairly 
be regarded as one of the valuable and notable characteristics of 
this breed. 

The Aberdeen-Angus as a milk producer without doubt inherits 
distinct merit from the old Buchan polled cattle. In 1805 it is 
said that the total dairy products of Aberdeenshire amounted to 
^1,150,000, most of which came from the Buchan district. 
G. J. Walker of Portlethen, Scotland, is credited with an average 
yield of 7866 pounds of milk from a herd of twelve. The Earl 
of Airlie, Cortachy Castle, has emphasized milk production in his 
herd, and according to Macdonald and Sinclair he owned seven- 
teen Aberdeen-Angus cows, the greater number of which gave 
from 12 to 14 and sometimes 16 Scotch pints (i pint weighing 
2 1 pounds) for a considerable time after calving. There are 
many published examples of the milking capacity of t^iis breed, 
which places the Aberdeen-Angus in much the same class as the 
Shorthorn in this respect. The quality of the milk is above the 
average. This is shown in a herd of pure-breds and grades kept 
at one time by J. H. Moore of Illinois, who sold the milk to a 
condensed-milk factory, where the fat content of the herd aver- 
aged from 4 to 4.50 per cent for the entire season, with Novem- 
ber tests averaging as high as 5.32 per cent. 



THE ABERDEEN-ANGUS 



289 



The Aberdeen-Angus as a producer of beef occupies a position 
of the highest rank, for almost since the day of Hugh Watson the 
breed has been distinguished for this quahty. In 1829 Watson 
showed a pair of oxen that attracted much notice, one of which 
was slaughtered, and its carcass said to be of rare quality. 
McCombie showed a steer. Black Prince, in 1867 which at four 
years of age won the highest honors at Birmingham and Smith- 
field. This steer was sent to Windsor for inspection by Queen 




Fig. 121. Clear Lake Jute 2d, a pure-bred Aberdeen- Angus steer, grand cham- 
pion at the International Live-Stock Exposition, Chicago, 1904. Fed and shown 
by the University of Minnesota School of Agriculture. From photograph by 
courtesy of the A'aiional Stockman and Faitner 



Victoria, at her request, so great was his fame, and later he sold 
for $600 for slaughter. For years either pure-bred or grade 
Aberdeen-Angus steers have held the highest places of honor at 
the leading English fat-stock shows, at the Chicago and Kansas 
City fat-stock shows, and at the International Live-Stock Exposi- 
tion. The following are some of the more important prizes won 
by Aberdeen-Angus pure-bred or grade steers in American show 
rings. The first pure steer of the breed shown was Black Prince, 
weighing 2300 pounds as a three-year-old, imported by Geary 
Brothers of Canada in 1883 and exhibited that year at the Kansas 



290 



CATTLE 



City and American fat-stock shows. He was not made grand cham- 
pion, but at Chicago was awarded sweepstakes as the best three- 
year-old beast passed on by butchers. In 1885 the steer Sandy, 
shown by Gudgell & Simpson, won the yearhng championship of 
the Kansas City and Chicago shows and also the medal offered by 
the Polled Cattle Society of Scotland. In 1886 Sandy was cham- 
pion steer of the Kansas City show, winning numerous prizes for 
being the best steer shown. At nine hundred and thirty-nine 
days he weighed 1885 pounds. In 1887, at the same show, Black 
Prince of Turlington, a famous bullock exhibited by T. W. Harvey, 
won the sweepstakes over the steer Dot shown by Messrs. Estill 
of Missouri, though the next year, at the American Fat-Stock 
Show at Chicago, Dot was grand champion over all breeds. For 
some years thereafter the exhibit of Angus steers did not attract 
much attention, the cattle market being very quiet. The Inter- 
national Live-Stock Exposition at Chicago, with its first show in 
1900, established a new arena for beef competition. P'rom that 
year up to 19 19 inclusive, excepting 19 14 and 191 5, the leading 
fat-stock show on the American continent has been held under its 
supervision. It is interesting to note that at the eighteen Inter- 
national shows held up to the year 19 19 inclusive, the grand- 
champion steer in eleven contests was an Aberdeen-Angus. 



Name of Steer 


Owner 


Year 

Champion 


Price sold 
PER Pound 


Advance .... 
Shamrock (grade) . 
Clear Lake Jute 2d . 
Black Rock (grade) 
Fyvie Knight . 






B. R. Pierce, Illinois 

Iowa State College 

LTniversity of Minnesota 

Iowa State College 

Purdue University 

Kansas State Agricul. College 

Iowa State College 

Iowa State College 

J. D. McGregor, Canada 

J. D. McGregor, Canada 

Purdue University 


1900 
1902 
1904 
1905 
1908 
1909 
1910 
1911 
1912 

1913 
1918 


$1.50 
0.56 
0.36 
0.25 
■'6\ 


King Ellsworth . . 
Shamrock 2d (grade) 
Victor 




o.iS' 
0.60 
0.90 
0.50 
(Not sold) 
2.50 


Glencarnock Victor 
Glencarnock Victor 2d 
Fyvie Knight 2d 





In the grand-champion contest in carload lots held at the Inter- 
national during the past eighteen years, fourteen times this award 
has gone to the Aberdeen-Angus. E. P. Hall of Illinois won 
the carload championship in 1910, 1912, 1916, and 1917, the 



THE ABERDEEN-ANGUS 



291 



load for the last year bringing $42,50 per hundred at auction, 
the highest price up to that time ever paid for a fat carload. 
Claus Krambeck of Iowa won the championship in 1904, 1905, 
and 1907 ; Funk Brothers of Illinois in 1906 and 1908 ; L. H. 
Kerrick of Illinois in 1900; Charles Escher of Iowa in 1902; 
and Escher and Ryan of Iowa in 191 1 and 191 3. The carcass 
contest on single steers at the International, excepting in 1900, 




Fig. 122. Fyvie Knight 2d, pure-bred Aberdeen- Angus steer, grand champion 
over all breeds, grades, and crosses at the 1918 International Live-Stock Expo- 
sition. Bred and exhibited by Purdue University, La Fayette, Indiana. P>om 
photograph by Hildebrand, by courtesy of Professor J. H. Skinner 

has been won each year by a pure-bred or grade Aberdeen-Angus. 
Five state agricultural colleges — Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, 
Nebraska, and Ohio — have fed Aberdeen-Angus steers whose 
carcasses were awarded the grand championship. At Smithfield, 
in London, where the great British show of beef stock is held, the 
Aberdeen-Angus has done hardly as well as at Chicago, but be- 
tween 1900 and 191 7 grand championship on fat steer or heifer 
has ten times gone to this breed. Certain factors have affected the 
awarding of premier place to the Aberdeen-Angus. The animal 



292 CATTLE 

dresses out a high per cent of carcass to offal, the meat is fine of 
grain or texture, the fat is distributed throughout the lean so as to 
show most desirable marbling, the color is usually a bright red, 
while the quality is unsurpassed. Without question the American 
butcher in a discriminating market pays the top price for Aberdeen- 
Angus cattle. Well fattened, a two-year-old steer of the breed may 
be expected to dress out 65 per cent carcass to offal, or better. 

The crossbred or grade Aberdeen-Angus bullock has long been 
regarded with especial favor by feeders and butchers. Robert 
Bruce, a well-known British authority, in commenting^ on cross- 
ing the Aberdeen-Angus and Shorthorn, states that this cross 
is highly valued by northern breeders, and the large number of 
farmers in England and Ireland who have resorted to this cross 
proves pretty clearly the general appreciation of the many good 
qualities belonging to the blend. Where ordinary judgment is 
exercised in the selection of sires and dams, the excellence of 
the produce is at once assured, as the blending of the Shorthorn 
and Aberdeen-Angus blood results not only in a superior butchers' 
animal but also in a quick-feeding and rent-paying one. A 
glance at the records of the great fat-stock shows at once indi- 
cates the important position taken by these Shorthorn- Aberdeen- 
Angus crosses in the annual prize-award lists. There has been 
a widespread demand for Aberdeen-Angus bulls for crossing pur- 
poses all over the north of Scotland, and this system of cross- 
ing has also made its way into other portions of the kingdom. 
In my opinion it is immaterial how the cross is brought in — 
whether through the Shorthorn sire on the Polled cow or the 
Polled bull and the Shorthorn cow. Circumstances and situation 
may alone be left to guide the breeder in the selection of the 
sire to use. A mating of Aberdeen-Angus to white Shorthorn 
produces a blue-gray animal that for many years has been a 
prime favorite on the British market. In America such cross- 
breds are not so common. At the Smithfield Fat-Stock Show in 
England, from 1900 to 19 16 inclusive, in the competition among 
crossbreds, the several combinations of Aberdeen-Angus and 
Shorthorn blood virtually won all championships and reserve 
championships. On the Western range the Aberdeen-Angus has 

* Macdonald and Sinclair, History of Aberdeen-Angus Cattle. 



THE ABERDEEN-ANGUS 293 

not secured so strong a foothold as the Hereford, but his grade 
progeny is thick-fleshed, short of leg, fast-maturing, a good 
feeder, and kills the equal of anything in the market. It will be 
fortunate for our beef-cattle interests when more Aberdeen- Angus 
males are used to grade up common herds. 

Aberdeen-Angus families make up a considerable list. Each 
family is descended from a cow that is regarded as its founder. 
Branches occur in these families, due to lines of breeding often 
undertaken in other herds than that from which the family came. 
An effort has been made by prominent breeders to discourage 
emphasizing certain families at the expense of others, but with 
none too much success. The following families have been re- 
garded with special fa\or, especially in America. 

The Erica family descends from Erica (843) 181, a cow that 
was bought in 1861 by Sir George Macpherson Grant at the 
Earl of Southesk's sale. She was by Cupbearer (59), a grandson 
of Old Jock (i), and her dam Emily (332) was also by Old Jock 
(i). Emily was out of Beauty, bred by Hugh Watson. Erica 
(843) is described as "' not a very large cow, but standing on 
very short legs and having a lovely feminine head and splendid 
quality." She was the dam of three sons : Cupbearer of Ballin- 
dalloch (658), Exciseman (473), and Elcho (595) ; and of four 
daughters: Erica 2d (1284) by Chieftain (318), Eisa (977) by 
Trojan (402), Enchantress (981) by Trojan (402), and Elba 
(1205) by Kildonan (405). From these four cows this family and 
its branches trace the most notable line developed at Ballindal- 
loch, possibly the most popular among Aberdeen-Angus breeders. 
Three branches of Ericas descended from these four daughters 
are known respectively as Chieftain-Ericas, Trojan-Ericas, and 
Kildonan-Ericas. In 1910 Macdonald and Sinclair wrote: "No 
family of polled cattle has in recent years taken a more distin- 
guished position in the show yard than the Ballindalloch Ericas. 
Since 1870 they have not been absent from the prize lists of 
the Highland Society's shows excepting on two occasions." 
Young Viscount 181, perhaps the greatest bull of the breed, was 
a grandson of Erica 2d through her daughter Erica 3d (1249). 

The Queen Mother family derives its name from Queen Mother 
(348) 41, the founder of this line. She was calved in 1843, 



294 CATTLE 

and as a yearling came into possession of Mr. McCombie, who 
bought her from Mr. Fullerton of Ardovie. She was sired by 
Panmure (51), the great early sire of the breed, and through her 
dam, Queen of Ardovie (29), was a granddaughter of Black Meg 
(766). Albert Pullen^ regards the Queen Mother as a tribe and 
credits it with nine families or branches, namely : Pride of Aber- 
deen, Empress of France ( or Dandy of Drumin), Daisy (or Vine 
of Tillyfour), Rosie of Tillyfour, Duchess of Westertown, Matilda 
of Yonderton, Charmer, Beauty of Morlich, and Victoria of Kelly. 
Americans, however, do not make this distinction, and Queen 
Mother and Pride of Aberdeen may each be regarded as families. 
In McCombie's hands at Tillyfour the Queen Mother or Queen 
family became famous. Queen Mother had four daughters : 
Bloomer (201), Windsor (202), Lola Montes (208), and Victoria 
of Kelly (345). A daughter of Lola Montes named Charlotte 
(203) was an exceptional cow, for her daughter Pride of Aberdeen 
(581) and her son Trojan (402) proved to be two of the epoch- 
making animals of the breed. This was the favorite family of 
Mr. McCombie, and it has always been very popular in America. 

The Pride or Pride of Aberdeen family derives its name from 
Pride of Aberdeen (581), above referred to, calved in 1857. She 
was sired by Hanton (228), a leading stock and show bull of 
Mr. McCombie. At the Paris Exposition in 1856 Hanton and 
Charlotte won premier honors for the breed, so that Pride of 
Aberdeen rightly inherited great excellence. She had a remark- 
able record in the show ring, "without parallel in the chronicles 
of the breed." She was the mother of seven females and four 
bulls, and from her offspring, especially the cows, descends a 
great line of producers. Her five daughters. Pride of Aberdeen 
2d (1299), Pride of Aberdeen 3d (1168), Pride of Aberdeen 4th 
(1 171), Pride of Aberdeen 5th (i 174), and Pride of Aberdeen 7th 
(1777), are the dams of many celebrated breeding and prize- 
winning animals. Prince Ito (12869) 50006, bred at Ballindalloch 
and one of the greatest sires ever imported to America, was a 
great-grandson of Pride of Aberdeen 5th (1174). 

The Blackbird family is descended from imported Blackbird of 
Corskie 684, a daughter of Lady Ida (102 1). In fact, in Scotland 

1 Aberdeen-Angus Cattle. London, 1908. 



THE ABERDEEN-ANGUS 



295 



this is known as the Lady Ida family. This latter cow is said to 
have lived nineteen years and dropped fifteen calves, nearly all of 
whom were prize winners. Her daughter Blackbird of Corskie 
was the dam of Blackbird of Corskie 2d (3024), Blackbird of 
Corskie 3d (3766), and Blackbird of Corskie 4th (3769). This 
last cow was imported to America, where she made a remarkable 
breeding record. Bred to Abbotsford 2702, one of the more noted 




Fig. 123. Blackbird 26th 54457, by Black Monarch of Emerson 30331. Grand- 
champion Aberdeen-Angus female at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, 1904. 
Owned by W. J. Martin, Churdan, Iowa. From photograph by the author 

sires in service in America, she produced Black Abbot 10423, 
Black Monk 132 14, and Blackbird Knight 11547, all sires of 
special merit. The Blackbird family in recent years has had a 
great popularity in America, and many herds are strongly impreg- 
nated with this blood. Black Woodlawn 42088, one of the most 
noted American-bred Aberdeen-Angus sires, out of Blackbird 1 3th 
24464, is a straight-line-bred Blackbird. Gay Blackbird I4443> 
champion in 1893 at the World's Columbian Exposition and a 
great sire, traced back in each branch to Blackbird of Corskie. In 
spite of its popularity some think this family rather overestimated. 



296 CATTLE 

The Blackcap family is an offshoot from the Blackbird, 
tracing from Blackcap 1552, a daughter of Blackcap of Corskie 
3d 733, and sired by the bull St. Clair 693, Black Knight 
4751, perhaps the greatest sire in the history of the breed in 
America, was a son of Blackcap 1552. The Blackcaps are great 
favorites, and their blood lines have mingled more or less with 
the Blackbirds. Blackcap Poe 2d 236212, sold in 19 18 for 
$9200, was sired by Bruce Ito 1 87621, a Blackbird, and had for 
dam the Blackcap cow Birdie Blackcap 82129, that was the dam 
of Black Poe 150727 and that sold for $5000. 

The Heather Bloom or Heather Blossom family descends from 
the cow Heather Bloom (1189). She had two daughters. Heather 
Blossom (1703) and Blooming Heather (1484), both of which 
were prize winners as well as most successful breeders. Two 
granddaughters of the latter, Benton Heather (7775) and Bonnie 
Heather {7776), were imported by T. W. Harvey for his Turington 
herd in Nebraska, where this family first attracted attention in 
America. This is not listed by Macdonald and Sinclair as one 
of the leading families in Scotland, but in the United States it 
has contributed a very meritorious class of cattle. 

The Nosegay family originated at Ballindalloch, having for its 
founder the cow Nettle 5167, her daughter Nosegay 2251, by 
King Charles 424, giving the family name. This is regarded as 
an especially good milking family. 

The Coquette family is of Ballindalloch breeding, descending from 
Coquette (14 17) and credited with an excellent class of progeny. 
The bull Ermine Bearer 1749, bred to Coquette loth 2703, sired 
Abbotsford 2702, a sire that did much for the breed in America. 

The Jilt family has its origin in Jilt (973), calved in 1863 at 
Tillyfour. She came to Ballindalloch in 1867, where she was a 
very successful producer. Three sons, Juryman (404) 421, Judge 
(1 1 50) 473, and Justice (1462) 854, were Highland Society 
Show prize winners. The two latter were imported to America 
by Judge J. S. Goodwin for his Heatherton herd, but each had 
a short career in this country. Jilt had five daughters, from which 
this family derives its special reputation. These were Jewel (14 1 3), 
Jewess (1916), Judy (2996), Joanna (13709), and Juno of Ballin- 
dalloch (3374). This is an excellent family, and though not largely 



THE ABERDEEN-ANGUS 



297 



represented on either side of the water, as stated by Mr. Pullen, 
"it has gained distinction chiefly by the production of good stock 
and prize winning bulls, and as this is not too common an attribute, 
it would appear to be a family worthy of preservation." 

The prices brought by Aberdeen-Angus cattle have not ranged 
as high as those brought by Shorthorn or Hereford, but have 
made a very good showing. Figures compiled by the Kansas 
Board of Agriculture of sales from 1892 to 1901 inclusive, 
including 3269 head, 
give an average price 
realized per head of 
$213.24, the bulls 
averaging $ 1 90.09 and 
the cows $232.07. A 
report based on fig- 
ures published by the 
American Aberdeen- 
Angus Breeders' As- 
sociation, covering 1 3 1 
public auction sales be- 
tween 19 10 and 19 1 6, 
shows that 7 1 60 cattle 
of the breed averaged 
$182.83. It is inter- 
esting to note that be- 




FiG. 124. Ida of Highland County, a fine type of 

Aberdeen-Angus cow in field condition. Owned 

by the Ohio State University. From photograph by 

E. K. Emslie 



ginning in 191 2 with 
an average price of 
^138.95, the average 

has steadily grown, until in 1916 it was $248.75. The records 
for 191 7 and 191 8 are still better. The highest prices of in- 
terest are as follows: Prince Ito 50006, by Eltham (9120), sold 
by M. A. Judy, February 4, 1902, at Chicago, to B. R. Pierce 
& Son for $9100. In June, 191 8, at Escher and Ryan's sale 
in Iowa the bull Blackcap Poe sold for $9200 to A. D. Wilcox 
of Kansas. In this sale 126 head brought $150,205, the 
record for the breed to this time, 13 bulls averaging $1104 and 
113 females $1202. Six cows brought $3000 or more each, 
Erica McHenry 43d bringing $4200. At the same sale at which 



298 CATTLE 

Prince Ito brought $9100, the cow Blackcap Judy 40226, by 
Black Monarch of Emerson 30331, was purchased by C. H. Gard- 
ner of Illinois for $6300, for years the top price for a cow of the 
breed. At the sale of P. J. Donahue of Iowa in May, 1918, 
the cow Blackcap McHenry 128th 183815 sold for $5025, and 
the bull Emlyn 235644 brought ^5100. Again, on May 23, 
1919, Mr. Donahue sold 47 head for $121, 42$, an average of 
$2583. On this occasion Blackcap Lassie i6th brought $7200 
and Elba of Glynn Mawr 4th, $6800. On June 3 and 4, 191 9, 
Escher and Ryan sold 171 head for an average price of $2200. 
The highest price for a bull was $36,000 for Enlate 209747, sold 
to W. H. Cooper, The cow Blackcap McHenry 151st 229186 
sold to C. A. Rosenfeld for $10,000. In the summer of 1919 
C. D. and E. F. Caldwell, Burlington Junction, Missouri, sold the 
bull Blackcap Bertram 183987 to L. B. McCanum, Aledo, Illinois, 
for $45,000, this representing the highest price paid to date for 
an animal of this breed. In May, 191 8, at a sale of Tudor and 
Son of Iowa, 54 head brought an average price of $1207 and 
28 females ranged in price from $1000 up. At the annual sales in 
Scotland, February 4 and 5, 19 19, all records for the breed were 
broken, and 280 bulls averaged $560 each, 3 passing the $10,000 
mark. The bull calf Euripus of Ballindalloch and the yearling 
Emblem of Harviestoun each brought $14,700, and the calf 
Erodemas $1 1,025. At sales held in fifteen states and Canada, in 
1918, the average price for 4102 head was $385.58. The average 
of 82 sales ranged from $110.08 to $1519.23. 

The prices paid for Aberdeen-Angus steers represent the very 
top of the market so far as carload lots are concerned. The prices 
paid for single steers — excepting the champions at the 19 16, 
1917, and 1918 International Expositions — are led over all 
breeds, grades, and crosses by the sale of the grand champion 
Advance at the 1900 International, which brought $1.50 per pound 
live weight. He weighed 1430 pounds, bringing $2145. At the 
19 16 International the grand-champion carload of Aberdeen- 
Angus shown by E. P. Hall of Illinois brought $28 per hundred at 
auction, while in 19 18 the grand-champion load of the same breed 
by the same exhibitor brought $42.50 per hundred. The average 
price paid per hundred on ^yi carloads of fat Aberdeen- Angus 



THE ABERDEEN-ANGUS 299 

cattle in the fifteen years between 1900 and 191 6 was $9.34 as 
compared with $8.38 paid on 357 loads of Herefords and $8.73 
on 198 loads of Shorthorns. 

The distribution of Aberdeen-Angus cattle is very widespread. 
They are generally found in northern Scotland, in various parts 
of England, Ireland, France, Denmark, Germany, South Africa, 
South America, New Zealand, Sandwich Islands, Canada, and the 
United States. In 19 17 the Polled Cattle Society of Scotland 
issued 395 certificates of export to foreign countries as follows : 
South Africa 195, Falkland Islands 140, Brazil 22, other parts 
of South America ^6, United States 2. In the United States the 
breed is most popular in Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, 
but herds are widely distributed throughout the country. Recently 
the breed has been receiving substantial recognition in the South, 
especially in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. On the range 
the Aberdeen-Angus has never secured such footing as have the 
Hereford and Shorthorn, although it has many stout champions 
in the Far West. 

Organizations for promoting Aberdeen-Angus cattle are repre- 
sented by the Polled Cattle Society of Scotland, organized in 1879, 
and the American Aberdeen-Angus Breeders' Association, organ- 
ized in 1883. The first "Polled Cattle Herdbook " was issued 
in Scotland in 1862, and Galloways were registered in the first 
four volumes of the Scotch society. The first volume of the 
American association was published in 1886. Up to January i, 
19 19, the Scotch society had published forty-three volumes and 
the American twenty-seven. About 238,500 Aberdeen-Angus 
cattle had been registered in the American herdbooks up to this 
time, and the association has about three thousand members. 
There are also associations for promoting the breed in England, 
Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and Argentina. In the 
United States nineteen state associations for promoting the breed 
have been established up to November, 19 19, and thirteen county 
associations have also been organized, mostly in Indiana, Illinois, 
and Iowa, A semimonthly periodical, \h^ Aberdeen-Angus Journal, 
was established in August, 1919, with headquarters at Webster 
City, Iowa. 



CHAPTER XXVIII 

THE GALLOWAY 

The native home of Galloway cattle is in the province of Gal- 
loway in southwestern Scotland. This province includes two coun- 
ties — Wigtown and Kirkcudbright — as well as parts of the counties 
of Ayr and Dumfries. Galloway borders the sea on the west and 
south and is generally rough and mountainous excepting in places 
near the sea. Much of the land is especially suited to grazing, 
but wheat, oats, barley, potatoes, and turnips do well on cultivated 
lands of the better class. The climate is damp and cloudy much of 
the time, cold and inclement in winter, and often cool in summer. 

The origin of the Galloway, like that of the Aberdeen-Angus, 
is quite obscure. According to Wilson,^ early in the eighteenth 
century there arose in England a demand for polled cattle to 
which the people of Galloway were the first to respond. Youatt 
states that about 1750 the greater part of the cattle bf Galloway 
were horned, but some of them were polled, a feature of this 
breed. In 1789 George Culley wrote of "polled or humbled" 
cattle and stated that " for the original of these we must look 
in Galloway." Culley also notes that graziers and drovers took 
them "in prodigious numbers" to the fairs in Norfolk and Suf- 
folk, England. As far back as 1723 Alexander Murray of Broch- 
ton is credited with having an enormous number of black cattle 
on his estate, feeding one thousand each year and driving to the 
English markets. Possibly the breed is descended from polled wild 
cattle. Various British authorities indicate that the Galloway is es- 
sentially a Kyloe or West Highland breed devoid of horns and 
may be a sport from this. Some authorities insist that Galloways 
have always been a true polled breed. 

The improvement of the Galloway dates back into the eighteenth 
century, Culley states that the breeders of Galloway complain 
that the old breed has become much worn out. He then says that 

1 Evolution of 13ritish CaUle, 1909. 
300 



THE GALLOWAY 



301 



there is little doubt of its not only " being recovered, but still more 
improved, when such a leading nobleman as Lord Selkirk is 
among the breeders, Mr. Murray of Brochton and Mr. Herring 
of Corroughtree have long been very eminent in the breeding of 
Galloway cattle. Mr. Craik, Mr. Dalyell, and several others have 
tried a cross from Mr. Bakewell's bulls." This, then, was a Long- 
horn cross on the Galloway, but Culley says that with what success 




Fig. 125. Worthy 3d (imp.) 21228. A great prize-winning Galloway bull in Scotch 

shows, grand-champion male of the breed at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition 

in 1904, and champion at numerous other leading American shows. Imported by 

C. E. Clark, St. Cloud, Minnesota. From photograph by the author 

he has not been able to learn, although breeders were generally 
against crossing this on Longhorns or any other breed. The 
Galloway was also crossed on the cattle of Westmoreland and 
Cumberland in the most mountainous section of England and 
contiguous to the province of Galloway. Among other important 
early improvers were the Gordons of Greenlaw, Maxwells of 
Munches and Mouneith, McDowals of Logan, Stewarts of Phygell, 
and the Earl of Galloway. The method of improvement by these 
early breeders has been one of selection, it is claimed, and not 
of inbreeding. About 1840 dairying became popular in Galloway, 



302 CATTLE 

notably in Ayr and Dumfries, and as the polled cattle were not 
essentially good dairy producers the people neglected them and 
turned to dairy stock, especially Ayrshires. In general Galloways 
suffered severely from neglect, and the number sensibly diminished 
all over the district. A few men, however, clung to the breed 
in its purity and worked for its improvement, notably the Duke 
of Buccleuch, James Graham, and the Messrs. Shennan. In 185 i 
a step forward was taken by establishing an annual Galloway bull 
sale at Lockerbie, and soon after another was established at Castle 
Douglas. In 1862 the Herdbook Society was organized, but it is 
said that active interest in the Galloway was not renewed until 
about 1877. 

The introduction of the Galloway to America occurred long ago, 
though just when is uncertain. Polled cattle came to this country 
in some of the early importations. L. F. Allen states that in 
1837 he saw a very fine black polled Galloway cow at the General 
Hospital in Philadelphia, but he did not ascertain how she came 
there. In 1853 Graham Brothers of Vaughan, Ontario, made the 
first importation to Canada, though L. F. Allen thinks they were 
brought to the vicinity of Toronto about 1850. In 1857 Allen 
saw upwards of forty of the breed at a show at Brantford, and 
later saw them elsewhere in Canada. In 1861 Thomas McCrae 
of Guelph, Ontario, made his first importation and did much to 
promote the breed. The first Galloways to reach the United 
States are said to have been brought to Michigan in 1870. In 
1880 the editor of the National Live Stock Journal, in reply to 
an inquiry, stated that he could give no addresses of polled-cattle 
breeders in the United States having cattle for sale, saying that 
they were very rare. Along in the eighties Galloways were owned 
by S. P. Clarke of Dover and I. H. Norris of Lamoille, Illinois. 
In 1885 M. H. Piatt of Kansas City, Missouri, exhibited Gallo- 
ways at the Cotton States Exposition at New Orleans. 

The characteristics of the Galloway. This breed in general 
appearance is short of leg and close to the ground, is polled, black 
of color, has very thick long hair (especially in winter), and is 
somewhat longer of body and flatter of rib than the Aberdeen- 
Angus. Without going into general details certain features of 
the breed demand special consideration. The Jiead in a good 



THE GALLOWAY 



303 



type should be polled and absolutely free from sours, or abortive 
horns, the poll being less peaked than in the Aberdeen-Angus. 
There should be strong breadth between the eyes, with shortness 
from eyes to end of muzzle, which should be large with ample 
nostrils. Wallace, the Scotch author, states that the ear is set 
rather farther back than in most breeds and should point upward 




Fin. 126. Picador 2d 42178, junior-champion Galloway bull at the 1917 Inter- 
national Live-Stock Exposition. Bred and exhibited by R. W. Brown, Carrollton, 
Missouri. From photograph, by courtesy of Mr. Brown 



and forward. A fine, broad, pointed ear covered with long hair is 
characteristic. The body of the Galloway is somewhat cylindrical 
and has considerable length. The rump is long, and the hind 
quarter is usually well developed, especially in the lower thigh. 
In quality the breed is superior, for the bone is reasonably fine, 
the skin mellow, and the hair very fine, silky, curly, and long. 
The color is generally black, though a brownish or reddish tint 
frequently occurs in the black and is regarded by some as an 
indication of purity. White or other color is a disqualification. 



304 CATTLE 

Formerly the breed varied in color, when there were brindles, 
dun-colored, or drab, and some with white spots. About 1835 
Youatt wrote that dark colors were uniformly preferred from the 
belief that they indicate hardiness of constitution. 

The size of the Galloway hardly equals that of the Shorthorn, 
Hereford, or Aberdeen- Angus, and it may be rated as a bit smaller 
than these at the same age. Mr. A. M. Thompson states that 
as yearlings past they can be made to weigh from 1000 to 1200 
pounds ; at two, from 1200 to 1400 ; at three, from 1400 to 1600. 
Typical bulls will weigh about 1800 to 1900 pounds and cows 
1300 to 1400 pounds when not in high flesh. In show condition 
much better weights may be secured. Lady May 11 562, a famous 
show cow, weighed 1740 pounds at the 1901 International Live- 
stock Exposition. 

The Galloway as a meat producer, as has been indicated, has 
always ranked high. For many years large droves of Galloways, 
said to exceed twenty thousand a year, were driven from Scotland 
into England and fattened and sold for beef. Galloway cattle 
have never been raised in large numbers excepting in the Gallo- 
way district and so have not usually been important factors in 
the show ring, at least outside of Scotland. At the 19 16 Inter- 
national Live-Stock Exposition there were fifty-four head entered 
in the breeding classes and but nine steers. There never has been 
a large and high-class show of steers of this breed at the Inter- 
national, Yet Galloways feed uniformly and smooth, patches and 
rolls being uncommon. The Galloway carcass ranks very high in 
quality and is valued by discriminating buyers, but it has not played 
an important part in the carcass contests at the International Live- 
stock Expositions. In 1909, in the two-year carcass class, Gallo- 
ways won second and fourth places, Domsie dressing 65 per cent 
and Scottish Lad, shown by Ohio State L^niversity, dressing 65.8 
per cent. In 19 10 the second-prize two-year-old steer Highland 
Laddie (which weighed 1672 pounds alive) dressed 69.55 per cent, 
while the fourth-prize yearling was a Galloway-Shorthorn cross, 
dressing 66.66 per cent. In 191 1 the second-prize yearling car- 
cass was the Galloway Bobby Burns, dressing 67.2 per cent, while 
in 191 3 the third-prize two-year-old was a Galloway, dressing 66.57 
per cent. All of the prize-winning Galloway carcasses were shown 



THE GALLOWAY 305 

by Nebraska University excepting the one credited to Ohio. "The 
excellent value of the beef of the Galloway," writes David McCrae/ 
"arises from two causes: first, its marbled quality, the fat being 
laid amongst the lean, giving it a well mixed, fine grain, highly 
flavored ; second, the tendency to lay their flesh and fat equally on 
the best parts." 

The crossbred Galloway has a distinct place in the meat market 
of England, for the mating of white Shorthorn bulls on Galloway 




Fig. 127. Masterful 43643, champion Galloway steer at the 191S International Live- 
stock Exposition. Exhibited by Kansas Agricultural College. From photograph, 
by courtesy of American Galloway Cattle Breeders' Association 

cows has produced a famous class of blue-gray feeders which kill 
out surpassingly well, often reaching 65 per cent. The Iowa Agri- 
cultural College has experimented some with this breeding and 
has shown a few choice blue grays at the International Live Stock 
Exposition at Chicago. From time to time "prime Scots" are 
quoted in the English markets, and these are often blue grays. In 
1892 the champion steer at the Smithfield show, England, was a 
cross between a Galloway cow and Shorthorn bull, which at 1250 
days weighed 2276 pounds, an average daily gain of 1,82 pounds 
from birth. Mr. O. H. Swigart, in writing on the Galloway, reports 

1 American Galloway Herdbook, Vol. VIII. 



3o6 CATTLE 

on two loads of range calves exhibited by a Colorado man, the 
offspring of common-grade cows, many of them Holsteins and 
Jerseys, but all sired by registered Galloway bulls. These calves 
won first and third prizes in their class, and one load won cham- 
pionship in class over other breeds by ages and grand champion- 
ship over all breeds and all ages as feeders. They were purchased 
by an Indiana feeder and returned to market July 9, 1902. They 
had an average weight of 1177 pounds and brought $8.45 per 




Fig. 1 28. Kvaline 2d of Avondale 20124, j^ijirI tliampion l.alloway female at the 

Louisiana Purchase Exposition, 1904, and at numerous other prominent shows. 

Bred by O. H. Swigart, Champaign, Illinois. From photograph by the author 

hundred — within five cents of the highest price ever paid up to 
this time on this market for range-bred cattle of any breed, show- 
yard animals alone excepted. 

The Galloway cow in milk production is little known so far as 
records are concerned. The claim is generally made that the 
cows give a good }ield of rich milk, yet one finds very little infor- 
mation regarding the Galloway as a milker when consulting the 
literature of the breed or comparative tests of cows of different 
breeds. The fact is, Galloway advocates emphasize the value of 
the breed in beef production and scarcely comment on the milk- 
producing factor. The cow Rosy 4th is reported to have pro- 
duced 42]- pounds of milk in a day, testing 7.25 per cent fat. 



THE GALLOWAY 307 

A former secretary of the American Galloway Cattle Breeders' 
Association, Charles Gray, states^ that "the Galloways as a breed 
cannot lay claim to any superiority as milkers. Although many 
herds have been kept for centuries in the south of Scotland for 
dairy purposes, yet as a whole the breed has been improved chiefly 
along the lines of beef production." 

The hardiness of the Galloway is one of its inherited character- 
istics, and it seems eminently suited to a place on the Western 
range, where food may be scarce and where the rigors of winter 
are great. The thick, long coat of hair gives it better protection 
from cold than is provided any other recognized beef breed in 
America. It is for this reason and for its rustling ability that the 
Galloway is attaining more and more popularity on the Western 
and Northwestern range. 

The hide of the Galloway, with its thick and long fall or winter 
coat, has a distinct value in itself. Properly tanned, it furnishes 
a lap robe, overcoat, or floor rug, surpassing in beauty the pelt 
of the buffalo, now so highly prized. Good Galloway floor rugs or 
lap robes easily sell for twenty-five dollars, and overcoats of this 
fur have changed hands at high prices. In the northwestern 
United States and Canada coats of this fur are very common in 
winter. Reverend Dr. John Gillespie, during a long life an 
authority on the Galloway and one of the founders of the Gallo- 
way Cattle Society of Great Britain, makes this comment on the 
Galloway skin and hair ^ : 

The skin and hair were outstanding qualities of the Galloway breed. The 
skin should be moderately thick, but always mellow and soft. The hair 
should of course be black, but not of a jet or inky black. The breeders 
liked to see a nice brown tinge, and all the best bred specimens would be 
found to have that characteristic. The objection to an inky black was that 
the quality of the hair was not usually so good as when the brown tinge 
was present. Galloways had always the two coats of hair fully developed. 
The upper coat should be long and soft, but not too curly. Animals with a 
very curly coat were generally indifferent thrivers. The under coat should 
always be soft, close, and silky. This was a very important point in the 
breed, because on it depended the power of the animal to resist cold and 
stand exposure. 

1 The Breeds of Live Stock (1916), p. 245. 

2 A^orth British Agriculturist, November 25, 189 1. 



308 



CATTLE 



The prepotency of the Galloway is of the first rank. Within 
the breed there exists much uniformity of transmission of character. 
In crossing or grading, where Galloway sires are used, the off- 
spring almost always inherits the color and features of the sire. 
James Biggar, one of the most noted recent Scotch breeders, 
states in regard to the power of transmission that " when a 




Fig. 129. Fatima 38103, third-prize Galloway cow at the 1917 International Live- 
stock Exposition. Owned by Isaac Lincoln, Aberdeen, South Dakota. From 
photograph, by courtesy of American Galloway Cattle Breeders' Association 



Galloway bull is crossed with any horned breed nearly 90 per 
cent of the produce will be black and 95 to 100 per cent with- 
out horns." Mr. A. M. Thompson of Missouri reports using a 
Galloway bull on a herd of Shorthorn cows with ver)' great suc- 
cess, 98 per cent of the calves being black and all natural polls. 
Galloways also cross very successfully with Herefords, producing 
beef of the finest quality. However, Robert Wallace says " the 
progeny of Galloway bulls on other breeds are on the average 
distinctly inferior." 



THE GALLOWAY 



309 



Galloway bulls of distinction that have materially helped to 
give fame to the breed in more recent times are Camp Follower 
(5042), Pathfinder 3d (5991), Scottish Standard (6488) 15221, 
Kekionga (2894) 2894, Druid of Castlemilk (6159) 17054, King 
Hensol 9967, Camp Follower of Stepford (7476), Worthy 3d 
(7762) 21228, Camp Follower 3d of Stepford (8407), Keystone 
(9689), and Macbeth (1032 1). 

The prices derived for Galloways do not average high, yet in 
view of the lack of knowledge of the breed they make a fair 
showing, A summary of 740 animals sold at auction from 1892 




Fig. 130. A pair of Galloway cows in the ring at the Royal Show, Manchester, 

England, 1897. No. 1429 is Dora of Durhamhill (13550) and 1430 is Maggie Lauder 

of Durhamhill (13994). The judges disagreed on these two for first place. From 

photograph by the author 

to 1 90 1 inclusive, published by the Kansas Board of Agriculture, 
shows an average of ;^ 126.7 5 per head for both sexes, or $141.43 
for 233 bulls and $110.51 for 318 cows. 

The distribution of the Galloway is mainly in Scotland and 
America. The breed is found in small herds, as a rule, east of the 
Mississippi, though some of the best-known herds are in Indiana 
and Illinois. Galloways are found on the ranges and farms all 
over the Far West and especially in the Canadian Northwest. Im- 
portant herds are also found in Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota. 

Organizations for the promotion of Galloways were first started 
in 1862 in Scotland, although Aberdeen-Angus were registered 
with the Galloway in the first four volumes of the herdbook. 



3IO CATTLE 

Then came a breed separation, and later, in 1877, followed the 
organization of the Galloway Cattle Society, with the first Galloway 
herdbook appearing in 1878. Up to 1919 the Galloway Cattle 
Society of Scotland has published thirty-nine herdbooks. The 
American Galloway Cattle Breeders' Association was formed at 
Chicago on November 23, 1882, although ten years previous to 
this the Ontario Galloway Stock Register of Pure-Bred Galloways 
had been established by the Agricultural and Arts Association of 
Ontario. The first American herdbook, known as the "' North 
American Galloway Herdbook," was published in 1883, since 
which date, up to 191 8, there have been published eighteen 
volumes, showing 35,000 registrations. 

Criticisms of the Galloway have long been made by American 
stockmen, more especially for lack of spring and fullness of rib, 
slackness of back, prominence of tail head, and slow response to 
generous feeding. Some of these criticisms are justified, but the 
breed is nevertheless improved over its form of twenty-five years 
ago and is less subject to unfavorable comment. 

The approved modern type of Galloway represents an animal 
that is free from some of the deficiencies referred to. Through 
the efforts of the more prominent breeders of Scotland and 
America the recent years have seen some improvement in the 
breed. A wider-backed, blockier, better-fleshed, easier-feeding sort 
has resulted from a more careful selection and a more discrimi- 
nating use of bulls on superior cows. Even yet, however, the 
Galloway does not as a rule mature as early or fatten as rapidly 
as the Shorthorn, Hereford, or Aberdeen-Angus, although Gal- 
loway cattle produce a very high-class meat, fine in grain and 
flavor, with the fat internal rather than external, and command 
a superior price on the market. 



CHAPTER XXIX 

THE WEST HIGHLAND 

The native home of West Highland cattle is in the elevated 
uplands of western Scotland. This particularly applies to that 
section known as the Highlands in Argyll, Inverness, and Perth 
counties, and the Hebrides Islands off the west coast. 

The origin of the West Highland breed, which has also been 
called the " Kyloe " by some, is generally conceded to be derived 
from the aboriginal cattle of Britain, of which the present wild 
white cattle are descendants. This breed has been known for 
centuries, but has been kept on a comparatively small scale. Joe 
Cameron gives an interesting contribution ^ relative to the reputa- 
tion of this as a very old breed. He states : 

Colin Campbell of Jura has a record of a sale of Highland cattle held by an 
ancestor, Archibald Campbell, in i 764. When the sale was held no one knew 
how long the breed had been in the possession of the family ; the tradition 
was that the foundation animal had been taken from the mainland. The late 
Alexander MacDonald of Babranald, in a letter to the writer many years ago, 
said that his ten predecessors on the Babranald estate kept the native catde, 
and the tradition was handed down that his forefathers, who had occupied 
Babranald or its neighborhood since the fourteenth century, had always bred 
Highland cattle. 

During the first half of the last century two of the herds that 
improved the breed were those of Mr. Malcolm of Poltalloch in 
Argyll and the Marquis of Breadalbane of Perth. 

The introduction of the West Highland cattle to America is of 
only passing moment. In 1879 Lewis F. Allen, one of the best- 
informed cattle authorities in America in the nineteenth century, 
stated that he knew of none in the United States, but was of 
the impression that a few were imported into Upper Canada 
some years before. About 1883 some West Highlanders were 
imported, among which was the cow Maid of Castle Grant, that 

1 Breeders^ Gazette, September 24, 191 3. 
3" 



312 



CATTLE 



was shown at a number of fairs in 1888 and 1889 by Judge 
J. S. Goodwin of Kansas. In 1891 several West Highland cattle 
were exhibited at the American Fat Stock Show at Chicago. In 
1902 Mr. W. M. Van Norden of Westchester County, New York, 
imported a small herd and made an exhibit at the Louisiana 




Fig. 131. Mead of the Highland bull Sir Andrew (1742), champion of the breed 
at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, 1904. Owned by W. M. Van Norden, 

Rye, New York 



Purchase Exposition in 1904. In 1907 Frank R. Sanders, then 
of Laconia, New Hampshire, made a small importation. 

Characteristics of West Highland cattle. This breed is very 
picturesque and distinct in character. The color is variable, being 
yellow, red, black, brindle, and a mixture of red and black, the 
red predominating. Cameron states that a fold of twenty cows 
might easily be composed of yellows and reds (two or three 
shades of each), but that there ought to be at least a couple of 
red brindles, a black, a silver dun, and a white, if a good one 



THE WEST HIGHLAND 313 

can be found. Unfashionable colors are brown (especially when 
rusty) and dark red, with black hair about the muzzle and in the 
tail. Broken colors are also in disfavor. The Jiair on the surface 
appears long and rough, while beneath, next to the skin, is a soft, 
mossy coat, the two combining to give admirable protection in 
winter against very severe weather. The Jiead is very bold, dig- 
nified in carriage, and in the bulls is surmounted with long, 
graceful horns which have a forward and slightly upward curve 
in mature form, with the points wide apart. The horns are white 
with animals of light colors, or white with dark tips with dark 
colors. The color of the vnizzle varies from buff or flesh shade 
to dark, in harmony with depth of color of hair. The neck is 
short and thick, with a mane on top and heavy dewlap below. 
"In form," says John Robertson of Blair Athol, "it possesses 
all the characteristics so much and so justly prized in the Short- 
horn — the straight back, the short legs, the broad chest, the 
breadth of loin and depth of rib, and, in short, the 'squareness' 
and solidity of form which always imply weight, whether in man 
or beast ; while the noble branching horns, the fine, full, and 
fearless eye, the short, broad, well-bred muzzle, the shaggy coat 
of richest black or red or dun or brindle color, impart a pictur- 
esqueness which is still further enhanced by that grace and delib- 
eration of movement so distinctive of all animals reared in perfect 
freedom." The tempera-nient is wild and bold, due to a condition 
of natural lack of restraint unknown among other breeds. 

The size of the West Highland cattle is comparatively small, 
cows perhaps averaging 900 pounds and males 1200, although 
one sees some larger on the hills and at the shows in Scotland. 
At the 191 1 Edinburgh Fat-Stock Show the steer Errol 
Candidate loth was a handsome beast weighing 1702 pounds at 
two years and ten months of age. 

The West Highland breed as a beef producer is superlative so 
far as quality is concerned. The meat is fine of grain, the fat is 
well distributed among the lean, the flavor is unsurpassed, and 
the carcasses dress out well. In the British market, beef of this 
breed ranks at the top. Yet these cattle feed very slowly and 
mature late and seem best adapted to feeding under Scotch 
mountain environment. 



314 



CATTLE 



The milking qualities of the West Highland are not important, 
for the eovvs are milked usually by the calves only. The milk, 
however, is rich in quality. 

Crossbred or grade Highland cattle are best suited to condi- 
tions where food is scarce and winters rough. Highland bulls on 
native Western-range cows would furnish hardy stock, but it is not 
likely that it would meet with a favorable reception from buyers, 
compared with the present very acceptable Hereford, Angus, or 




Fig. 132. Ceathernach IJuidhe {yujj. iii^i-piize West Highland bull at show of the 

Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, 1891 and 1892. From photograph 

by Charles Raid, by courtesy of Breeders' Gazette 

Galloway grades. The claim is made by excellent Scotch authori- 
ties that West Highland cows cross well with bulls of most of 
the British beef breeds. Where food is abundant and the climate 
not too severe such a cross may be advisable. On the more ele- 
vated Scotch hills, however, where winter exposure is great, the 
crossbred progeny will not do so well as the pure-bred. Such 
crossbreds could not be expected to have the hardiness of the pure 
stock. Referring to crossbreeding Mr. Cameron states ^ : 

A good many years ago the Earl of Camperdown experimented considerably 
with various crosses on his property near Dundee, Scotland. Putting a Short- 
horn bull to well-bred Highland cows, he had splendid calves, which throve 
^Breeders' Gazette, October 23, 19 13. 



THE WEST HIGHLAND 315 

extraordinarily and came to maturity quite as rapidly as the run of other 
Shorthorn crosses, but a proportion of them tended to become rather fat at 
the finish, the land being somewhat low-lying, sheltered, and rich. He then 
tried the Aberdeen-Angus bull, and with perfect success. Finer beasts for the 
butcher than the two Aberdeen-Angus and Highland crosses could not be 
wished. At twenty-four to thirty months old his lordship's Angus and High- 
land cross steers have generally ranged from 1200 to 1400 pounds live 
weight. He has also bred many superb animals by putting a white Short- 
horn bull to cows and heifers of the Shorthorn-Highland cross. The result 
in this case from the color standpoint has been a large proportion of roans 
and reds with a slight frosting of white hairs all over their bodies. Putting 
the Aberdeen-Angus sires to those first cross cows, he has pretty dark blues 
and blacks with white hairs. 

The hardiness of West Highland cattle is remarkable. Used 
to a free life on the Scotch hills, where summer and winter they 
graze on grass and heather, they seem capable of enduring the 
roughest climate. In a letter on this breed the Earl of Dunmore 
wrote in 1887, bearing on their suitability to the more exposed 
Northwestern American range : 

My average yearly loss has not been three per cent, which in a large fold 
of some four or five hundred head of cattle is very small. January, February, 
and March are pretty hard months for them, as they get no food beyond what 
they pick up on the hills where they are wintered. I have often seen them 
scraping away the snow to get at the grass ; but notwithstanding their being 
out all winter, they produce in April and May as strong and lusty-looking 
calves as a man could wish to see, with lots of bone and tremendous thick coats. 
That, to my mind, is the coming breed for the great Northwestern ranges. 

The breeding qualities of West Highland cattle rank high, 
though the heifers are not bred the first time until three years 
of age. Earl Dunmore states that he could quote from his 
private herdbook several cases of cows, after having their first 
calves at four years, continuing to produce yearly thereafter up 
to fourteen years of age one living calf and sometimes twins, all 
of them being born on the mountain side. 

The distribution of the West Highland breed is mainly in Scot- 
land, in the regions previously indicated, although herds are kept 
in England, where steers are also fed to a small extent. Although 
many owners of large estates maintain this breed for its pictur- 
esque character and easy keep, yet it is not common excepting 
in western Scotland. In view of the fact that this is strictly a 



3i6 



CATTLE 



mountain breed, one might assume that it would do well on the 
better pastures of the Allegheny Mountains. (Grazing of an excel- 
lent character is found on the mountains of Virginia, North Carolina, 




Fig. 133. A West Highland cow and calf. From photograph by W. Raid, by 
courtesy of the Breeders^ Gazette 



and Tennessee. The winters in that region lack the severity of 
the North, thus permitting living on the range the entire year. 

An organization of West Highland cattle breeders was formed 
by Earl Dunmore in 1884, and a herdbook was published that 
year, nineteen volumes having appeared up to 19 19. Some years 
ago an attempt was made to organize a West Highland cattle 
association in the United States, but without much success. 



CHAPTER XXX 

DAIRY TYPE OF CATTLE 

The general appearance of dairy cattle is notably different from 
that of beef stock. They have less thickness of body, less breadth 
of back, narrower thighs, a slenderer neck, and a more muscular 
character generally. The males are notably narrower at the 
withers and more divided between the hind quarters, while the 
females are rather sharp over the withers and full and heavy 
behind, with udder of ample proportions. A rather long, deep- 
ribbed, muscular, not fleshy body and shortness of leg is notable 
in the high-class male. A triple wedge form is associated with 
the dairy cow. Viewed from one side, she shows less depth of 
body in front than behind ; secondly, she gradually widens from 
the breast to the points of the hips and hind quarters ; thirdly, 
as one looks down on the back at the withers the form widens 
out like a wedge towards the middle of the body. Many superior 
dairy cows show this wedge form in a striking degree, but excep- 
tions occur where the heavy milk production is not associated 
with an ideal dairy shape. Fleshiness with either sex is distinctly 
objectionable, unless with young animals not yet in lactation. 

The head of the dairy animal should be lean, broad of muzzle, 
large of nostril, moderately short and broad of nose, with some dish 
to the face. Prominent, clear, calm eyes, wide apart, beneath a 
broad full forehead, are essential. The cheeks should be deep and 
the lower jaw strong. The fine, medium-sized, thin, pointed ears 
must be neatly placed and be covered with fine hair on the out- 
side, with longer hair at tip and edges. If there be horns they 
should exhibit quality, not being coarse or shelly. The top of the 
head, or poll, should be covered with a thick layer of fine long 
hair, especially in cold weather. A yellow color of the inner 
skin of ear and a yellowish waxy color to horn, especially at 
the base, are regarded as indicating that a cow will yield milk 
rich in fat. 

317 



3 I 8 CATTLE 

The neck tends to be long and muscular. With the bulls it is 
especially strong and heavily muscled, usually possessing a prom- 
inent arch, while the neck of the cow is thin and long. The 
lower part of the neck usually has more or less dewlap, this being 
a thin edge of skin extending from the brisket upwards. A very 
deep neck with much dewlap, fullness at the throat, or a short, 
thick neck on dairy cattle are objectionable, showing lack of quality 
and type. While the neck should have a neat attachment at head 
and shoulders, it does not blend in so smoothly as with beef cattle, 
owing to lack of flesh. 

The shoulders should incline at a good angle well into the 
back, lying fairly close together and forming with the back line 
rather refined, narrow, or sharp zvitJiers. With the males greater 
breadth of withers is sought. The shoulders are usually somewhat 
prominent, but heaviness or meatiness is distinctly objectionable. 

The breast of dairy cattle does not show so great width as the 
beef type, and the brisket is narrower and sharper and not carried 
quite so far forward. 

The chest, like the breast, which is a part of it, does not show 
great thickness, but ample depth and reasonable spring of rib is 
desired. The crops — at the top of the chest behind the shoulders 
— are usually somewhat deficient in dairy cattle. At this place the 
ribs should have a fair arch from the back, showing ample chest 
room below. The front flanks also should be well filled out, show- 
ing a good constitution in the ample chest capacity. 

The front legs should be straight from side or front, coming 
down without marked crookedness at knee or wide turning in or 
out of toes. A common feature of dairy cattle of both sexes is 
to have the knees come quite close together when in a natural 
position, thus indicating a narrow chest and poor constitution. 

The back of the dairy type frequently shows some droop from 
withers to hip line. Some persons regard a sw^ay back as neces- 
sarily associated with dairy type. A strong back, well sustained, 
with but little depression, if at all, is much to be preferred. 
Arguments have been advanced by some that a large backbone, 
with the vertebrae somewhat separated, offers important evidence 
of such a nervous temperament as should be associated with 
the dairy type. Through the backbone the spinal cord passes, 



DAIRY TYPE OF CATTLE 319 

connecting the brain with the entire nervous system. A large 
backbone may indicate a large spinal cord and strong nervous 
temperament, a characteristic of the dairy type. Further, there 
should be a strong, level, broad loin and also fair width of back 
throughout, although not equal to that of the beef type. 

The ribs should be sufficiently long and arched to provide a 
capacious body, a feature most important with animals of this class. 
Flat and short ribs go with poor feeders and defective constitu- 
tions. The body of the dairy type being moderately long or rangy, 
the ribs do not appear quite so close together, perhaps, as with 
the beef type, neither is the coupling between the last rib and 
point of hip as close as with other cattle. 

The Jiips tend to be somewhat prominent with both males and 
females. The hip points of the male should be neat and moder- 
ately close, not wide, while those of the female may be more 
widespread and prominent. This allows plenty of room for the 
breeding organs of the female. 

The iiiuip of the dairy type calls for ample length, breadth, 
and levelness. This offers more room for the reproductive oper- 
ation, the peaked, droopy rump frequently causing trouble in 
calving, due to lack of room for the easy exit of the calf. The 
backbone should be prominent along the middle of the rump, in 
keeping with the rest of the back. On account of its prominence 
the backbone from the hips to the tail head over the pelvis shows 
a rise which is often termed the "pelvic arch." A fat rump 
is objectionable, a feature found usually in inferior milkers and 
animals of the beefy type. 

The thighs of dairy cattle should be muscular rather than fat. 
A heavy, thick type of hind quarter is not desirable. The thigh 
should be long, should have a rather thin back edge, and should 
curve on the inside so as to permit ample room between the 
hind legs. A thick thigh and deep twist is unfavorable to large 
udder development. 

The hocks, to secure the necessary room for the udder, must 
be muscular, clean, and thin, and should point directly back, 
with ample space between. 

The legs from hock down should stand square, as viewed 
from side or rear, the toes pointing directly forward or nearly so. 



320 



CATTLE 



If the toes turn out, the animal hocks in and has a faulty confor- 
mation. Rarely the toes turn in and the hocks bend outward, giv- 
ing a weak and poor position to the legs. The shank bones should 
be smooth and short, showing refinement of bone and quality. 

The tail is important mainly as a medium for protection from 
flies. Consequently length and a heavy brush of hair are essen- 
tial. The fleshy part should extend to the point of the hock, and 
the brush should clear the level of the feet by two or three inches. 



i 


. '^ 






-.— «^ 


^H 


■ 


Hb *wVv '^^ ^4 


I^^^L^ 





Fig. 134. Midland Nellie IV, an Ayrshire cow and a fine example of dairy type. 
From a Scotch photograph 

The root of the tail, or tail head, should carry on a line with 
the back, showing no coarseness or special prominence, and fit 
neatly to the end of the body. The tail as a whole is an indicator 
of quality and should be refined rather than large and coarse. 

The iiddcr oi the dairy cow is a most important part. In form 
it should be moderately thick, filling up well between the thighs, 
should extend by graceful curve high up behind, and should be 
extended well along the belly. The bottom of the udder in its 
best form has four teats some three or four inches long, hanging 
on the same level and placed far enough apart to be comfortably 
grasped in the hands. When the milk is removed from the udder 
that organ should be soft and pliable, showing much shrinkage. 



DAIRY TYPE OF CATTLE 321 

The hind part, located between widespreading thighs, should 
show much elasticity, with folds of skin apparent in the empty 
udder, especially with mature cows. Over the entire udder a 
mellow, soft skin and fine coat of hair should be found. Com- 
mon defects of the udder are small, poor fronts, with the teats 
on this part elevated much above or close to the hind ones ; 
small teats, especially with some breeds ; meaty udders, which 
reduce but little with milking and yield a comparatively small 
flow ; and last, but not least, small udders entirely lacking in profit- 
producing capacity. Large cows should have larger udders than 
small cows, but an animal of from 900 to 1000 pounds weight, 
at six years old, in full flow^ of milk, should have an udder of 
comparatively large size, such as will yield at least 40 pounds a 
day. However, this standard does not apply to the larger, heavier 
milking breeds, which should do better than this. 

The viilk veins, which convey blood through the udder, are 
usually regarded as indications of a cow's general capacity to 
produce milk, although we have no actual facts bearing on this 
point. In spite of this the prevailing opinion among dairy-cattle 
critics is that the veins are in a measure indicators of producing 
capacity. Young heifers have small veins, which with maturity 
increase in prominence. On old cows they may be very tortuous, 
extending from the udder forward with numerous turns along the 
belly until they enter the wall of the belly through holes known as 
"' milk wells." These latter should show comparatively large size 
on the application of the end of the finger at the orifice. Many 
cows have three milk veins, two long ones on the outer part of the 
belly and a short one between. In rare cases the veins branch into 
numerous small ones along the belly just in front of the udder. 
Small veins also occur on the udders of some cows. The length 
of vein varies, usually extending about halfway to the forelegs, 
although cases occur of their extending to the leg itself, disap- 
pearing behind the arm. The size of the vein varies much, the 
larger ones having a diameter of about three fourths of an inch. 
Small veins are found on the belly of the males, while miniature 
teats, known as " rudimentaries," are found along in front of and 
on each side of the scrotum, or purse, two usually occurring a short 
distance apart on a side. The length and size of the rudimentaries 



322 CATTLE 

vary greatly, ranging from small buttons to teats an inch long. 
We have no definite knowledge regarding the significance of these, 
some persons thinking that the larger they are the better the evi- 
dence that the male will sire large milkers. Others have specu- 
lated that the position of the rudimentaries indicates the placing 
of the teats and form of fore udder on the offspring of the sire. 

The escutcheon, also known as the "milk mirror," is found 
along the back of the thighs or between them and has attracted 
special attention on dairy cattle only. This is shown by a line of 
hair turning to one side or upward, in contrast to the usual down- 
ward position of the hair. This line of reversed hair was investi- 
gated by a Frenchman named Guenon, who argued that the 
escutcheon indicated the capacity of a cow to produce milk. In 
view of the fact that the extent and position of the reversed hair 
varies alongside or above the udder, Guenon classified its occur- 
rence, giving different names according to the prominence and 
character shown. Modern dairy-cattle authorities attach no special 
significance to the escutcheon, Guenon's theories not having been 
borne out in fact. 

The quality of the dairy type is shown in the character of 
skin and hair, size of horn, ear, and bone, and general propor- 
tions. Under the ordinary conditions of keep for cattle of this 
class the skin should be very mellow and pliable, thinner than 
with beef cattle, with a shorter length of hair. No class of cattle 
show quality so clearly as do some of the dairy type, as indicated 
by handling, there being a rich, mellow, oily feel commonly 
associated with the skin of high-class animals. The skin also will 
often show a yellow, oily secretion, conspicuous at the ears, 
between the thighs, about the udder and the scrotum, and at the 
end of the tail. 



CHAPTER XXXI 

THE JERSEY 

The Channel Islands are a group of islands in the English 
Channel, from lo to 30 miles from the coast of France and 
from 50 to 120 miles south of England. At one time they 
belonged to France, but since 1204 they have been under British 
sovereignty. There are four principal islands — in order of impor- 
tance Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark — and a number of 
very small islets of no special significance. These islands have 
rocky and very dangerous coasts and the tides vary greatly in height 
and activity, so that sailors have a great dread of this piece of sea, 
on which many vessels have come to a disastrous end. The Eng- 
lish language is commonly used in the towns on the islands, while 
on the farms and among the fishermen a French patois prevails 
more or less. The islands are self-governed, having their own 
legislative bodies. The total population in 191 1 was 96,900. 

The island of Jersey, the largest of the group, is about 12 
miles long and 7 miles wide and contains 39,580 acres, of which 
about 25,000 are under cultivation. The island is rather rec- 
tangular in form, the north shore bold and high, the cliffs at 
Bouley Bay reaching an elevation of nearly 500 feet. The surface 
of the island gradually slopes to the south shore, where is located 
St. Aubin's Bay and the city of St. Helier and the principal 
harbor. The island is divided into twelve parishes and has a 
population of about 60,000. A lieutenant governor representing 
the British government has control of all military matters, while 
a bailiff is the highest civil authority, being president of the 
States, or Parliament. The climate is most balmy and the island 
is a favorite health resort, outdoor life being pleasant during the 
entire year. So healthful are the conditions that tuberculosis 
among the cattle on the island is almost unknown. Jersey has 
two great industries — breeding cattle and growing potatoes. 
The soil is very fertile, and the farms are small, ranging from 

323 



324 



CATTLE 



5 to 20 acres each. Enormous crops of potatoes are grown, 
a yield of 500 bushels per acre being very common, and a total 
yield for the island of as much as 500,000 bushels in a season. 
Notwithstanding its small size, there are about 12,000 cattle 
kept on the island, and the herds are well cared for. When 
on pasture each animal is tethered by a combination chain 
and rope, and the grass is systematically grazed from day to 
day. Cattle are never turned loose to graze as in America. 




Fig. 135. A typical home on Jersey. From photograph by the author 



The origin of the Jersey is unknown. The most probable 
theory is that it is descended from stock at one time native to 
those near-by departments of France known as Normandy and 
Brittany. While the cattle of those regions to-day do not closely 
resemble the Jersey, they have some things in common. The 
fawn or white color has been attributed to certain cattle of 
Normandy, while the blacker color has been ascribed to the 
l^rittany cattle, it being assumed that the Jersey has resulted 
from the fusing of these French types. Historically the first 
description regarding the Jersey that the author has secured, 
showing its resemblance to the breed of to-day, was in 1789, by 
Culley,^ who comments on the introduction into England of French 

1 George Culley, Observations on Live Stock. Dublin, 1789. 



THE JERSEY 325 

or Alderney cattle to ornament the grounds of the nobility and 
gentry and to provide rich milk. The term "Alderney " thus 
used applied to any of the Channel Island cattle, and the use 
of this word in America for many years was no doubt due to the 
English custom. 

Legislation for the protection of the purity of cattle on Jersey 
dates back to early colonial times. The value of preserving the 
character of the breed was recognized as early as 1763, when 
laws were passed by the legislature of Jersey prohibiting the 
importing of cattle from France to the island. While this law 
was recognized, it probably was not enforced with much severity. 
In 1789 an act was passed making it a severe crime, heavily 
punishable, to bring any cattle to Jersey from France excepting 
for immediate slaughter. In 1826 a new law was enacted, abso- 
lutely prohibiting importing breeding cattle from France, but this 
law was revised in 1864, when provision was made for bringing 
cattle to Jersey from France for consumption or reexportation. 
The present law prohibits bringing live cattle to the island ex- 
cepting for food, and they must be slaughtered within twenty-four 
hours after landing at the abattoir at St. Helier, According to 
John Thornton efforts have been made to introduce other breeds 
on the island. About 1845 a Mr, Revans tried to introduce 
" Durhams," but these were finally sold to the butcher. Some 
Ayrshires imported by Colonel Godfray also met a similar fate. 

The improvement of the old Jersey type really began in a 
general movement on the part of the islanders. In 1833 the 
Royal Jersey Agricultural Society was organized, with the view, 
among other things, of improving the cattle. In 1834 the society 
originated a score card for Jerseys, amounting to twenty-five points 
for the bull and twenty-seven for the cow. This card was used 
at the first show of cattle on the island, which also was held in 
1834, Comments by the judges were that the cattle were poor of 
shape and had bad udders and that some females had short, bull 
necks, were heavy in shoulder, etc. The application of the score 
card, which was revised in 1838, 1849, 185 1, and 1858, was 
enforced, and the cattle of Jersey gradually and rapidly improved. 
This work was due to the joint efforts of the members of the agri- 
cultural society, though Colonel Le Couteur was a leader in this 



326 



CATTLE 



movement on the island. The practice of selection was followed 
with much care, and the breeders constantly sacrificed animals of 
inferior quality and value to the butcher. 

The improvement of the Jersey in England had some bearing 
on the general development of the breed. Many herds had been 
formed in England, that of Lord Braybrooke in Essex County (dat- 
ing back to 1811) being still in existence in 1880, when the first 
volume of the English herdbook appeared. About 1821 Philip 
Dauncey of Horwood, Buckingham County, purchased his first 

Jersey, and later be- 
came England's most 
celebrated breeder. 
He developed a re- 
markable herd, and it 
is stated that he even- 
tually maintained a 
dairy of fifty Jersey 
cows which netted him 
an annual profit of 
$100 each from sales 
of butter. His cows 
produced large yields 
of butter and greatly 
advertised the merits 
of the breed. The 
herd was dispersed in 
1867, when ninety head averaged something over $200 each. 
Cattle from this herd were sold to go to different parts of England, 
Germany, Australia, and Tasmania, Dauncey, it is said, bred 
with three prime objects in view : first, a large average butter 
record ; second, constitution ; third, uniform color of hair, free 
from white. Among the most celebrated cows owned by him 
were Brunette, calved in 1833, the dam of fourteen calves; 
Violet, procured from Colonel Le Couteur in 1845 ; and Negress, 
a favorite black cow. Pope 652, purchased in 1826 from Michael 
Fowler, was his first bull and proved a most valuable addition 
to his herd. Dauncey bred the bull Rioter 746 II, whose grand- 
son Stoke Pogis 1269 became progenitor in America of the 




Fig. 136. A seaside farm on the island of Jersey. 
The stack in the foreground consists of sea- 
weed, which is used for manure. From photo- 
graph by the author 



THE JERSEY 327 

St. Lambert family. While Dauncey practiced inbreeding, he, 
however, greatly emphasized constitutional vigor. 

The introduction of Jerseys to America dates well back into 
the nineteenth century. As early as 1 8 1 8 Reuben Haines of Ger- 
mantown, Pennsylvania, imported a pair of cattle from the island 
of Alderney, but no definite importation from the island of Jersey 
seems recorded prior to 1850, when Messrs. Taintor, Buck, 
Norton, and other gentlemen near Hartford, Connecticut, brought 
over in the ship Splendid the first from the island to be registered 
in the American herdbook. The bull Splendens 16 is probably 
the first registered Island-bred bull brought to this country. In 
185 1 and 1855 other importations were taken to Connecticut, 
including some animals that later became famous — notably the 
bulls Splendid 2, Rob Roy 17, St. Heher 45, and Pierrot 636, 
and the cows Dot 7, Pansy 8, Jessie 28, and the Ives cow. In 
185 I Thomas Motley imported for the Massachusetts Society for 
Promoting Agriculture, bringing over among other cows Flora 1 1 3 
and Countess 114. From 1850 importations became frequent. 
The dates of the introduction of the Jersey into some other local- 
ities are as follows : Maryland, 1851; New York and Pennsylvania, 
1855 ; Ohio, 1865 ; Canada, 1868. Many importations have been 
made in recent years. 

Characteristics of the Jersey. In general conformation the 
Jersey is lean and muscular, conforming to the dairy type. The 
head should be lean and fairly short, broad between the eyes and 
muzzle, and dish-faced, both with male and female, to a greater 
degree than with other common breeds. The eyes are naturally of 
good size and prominent, in some instances being so bulging, or 
"pop-eyed," as it is termed, as to appear abnormal. The Jwrns 
vary in form, but those of the bull should be short and strong, 
curving around forward and upward and slightly inward, while 
those of the cow should be smaller and perhaps longer, with more 
curve. A white or amber-colored horn with blackish tip is the 
approved sort, and when yellow tinted is assumed by many to 
indicate richness in butter fat. The sJioulders tend to be a bit 
prominent, the xvitJiers narrow and refined, and the chest deep 
and of moderate thickness. Too many Jerseys are narrow chested 
and lack spring of front rib, a common criticism. The back should 



328 



CATTLE 



be strong and well supported, with little if any droop, the ribs 
well sprung and long, the entire body showing comparatively large 
size and strong reproductive and digestive capacity. The hips 
should be fairly broad in the cow, but not in the male ; the rump 
long, wide, and level ; the thighs thin and muscular and set wide 
apart ; the hocks and feet carried straight with ample room to 
allow a large udder between. Jerseys tend to be narrow at the 
rump, as viewed from behind, and cow-hocked. The luidcr is usu- 
ally mellow and milks well, but it has been subjected to considerable 




Fig. 137. A comer ol the show yard at .springheld, on Jersey, at the annual Cow 
and Heifer Show, May, 191 4. From photograph by the author 



criticism for its small size as well as small teats. The form of 
the udder has been much improved in recent years, especially 
in the extension of the fore quarters, although these are still fre- 
quently elevated and abbreviated. The milk veins no doubt attain 
as great relative size and prominence with the Jersey as any breed, 
often being very tortuous, long, and comparatively large. 

The color of the Jersey is usually referred to as a fawn, but it 
is variable in shade, being yellowish, reddish, grayish, brownish, 
or silvery fawn. Some are described as orange or lemon fawn, 
and others as squirrel gray or mulberry black. White as a whole 
does not occur, but white marks are quite common, although a 
body of solid fawn is preferred. Brindle, a rare color, is objected 



THE JERSEY 



329 



to and should cause disqualification. The hair about the muzzle 
and eyes is usually of a creamy or grayish shade, and a light tone 
frequently occurs along over the spine. In a study of the inherit- 
ance of color in the Jersey by Professor J.J. Hooper of Kentucky 
State University, the color markings of 1 145 calves and 2290 sires 
and dams were tabulated. It was found that the solid color of 
coat is dominant to broken color and that black tongue and 
switch are dominant to white tongue and switch. Matings of 
436 solid-colored cows with broken-colored bulls produced 257 
solid-colored calves 
and 179 of broken 
color, while 500 mat- 
ings of cows and bulls 
of solid color produced 
425 calves of solid 
color and 7 5 calves of 
broken color. 

In registering Jer- 
seys it is necessary 
to specify whether the 
tongue is white or 
black, or the switch 
white or black, these 
being marks of identi- 
fication. Where color 
is made a point of im- 
portance in the breeding of a herd, a dark fawn, shading to light 
along the backbone and the lower limbs, meets with much favor, 
though solid colors of light fawn are also very popular. The most 
experienced and able breeders do not place primary emphasis on 
color, always making it secondary to the more important features, 
color being a fancy point and of no intrinsic value. The skin 
secretions are usually quite yellow, and, as seen in the ear, at tip 
of tail, and about the udder, indicate something of the richness of 
the milk. The skin itself should be thin, very elastic and mellow, 
and with a fine thick coat of hair. 

The size of the Jersey may be classed as small to medium, with 
a tendency in breeders to secure a medium sort. Taking the 




Fig. 138. Fancy Toltec z\ 167, abuut 1895,111 the herd 
of the late A. T. Dempsey. A popular American- 
type show bull. From photograph given the author 
by Colonel Dempsey 



330 CATTLE 

records of weights in the register of merit, many of which are 
estimated, 25 yearHng heifers averaged 698 pounds, the range 
being from 600 to 850; 50 two-year-olds averaged 779 pounds, 
the range being from 600 to 1000 ; 50 three-year-olds averaged 
827 pounds, the range being from 650 to 1000; while the aged 
cows averaged 908 pounds, the range being from 750 to 1080. 
Eleven of the aged cows weighed 1000 pounds or more and 
22 weighed from 900 to 1000 pounds. The average weight of 
24 cows at the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 was 922^ 
pounds. One may regard 700 pounds as a fair weight for a heifer 
approaching two years of age, while fully matured cows should 
weigh from 850 to 900 pounds. One finds considerable range in 
weight of Jersey bulls. Eighteen bulls, heads of herds from which 
the author secured records, weighed from 1040 to 1790 pounds, 
the average being 141 5 pounds. In general a weight of from 1300 
to 1400 pounds is preferable in the mature Jersey male. 

Early maturity of the Jersey is more marked than with any 
other common breed of cattle. Repeated cases are on record of 
Jersey females, through accident, having the first calf before three 
hundred and sixty-five days old. Both males and females develop 
rapidly and are often in service too early for the good of the herd 
or breed. Occasionally one will find a herd of Jerseys, where the 
owner has bred the heifers to come fresh at eighteen to twenty 
months old. In these herds one is impressed by the small size 
and runty appearance of the cows. The wiser and more thought- 
ful breeders of to-day plan to hav^e their heifers come fresh 
about thirty months old, depending somewhat upon the vigor and 
size of the animals to be bred. A greater vitality and producing 
capacity is thus secured. 

The adaptability of the Jersey to a wide range of conditions 
is well established. While the breed has its native home on an 
island with a very mild climate, one finds important herds of 
Jerseys under a great variety of conditions. In America there are 
herds at wide extremes of latitude and altitude, for in the cold 
Northland and the sunny South and on the low prairies of Texas 
and the high altitudes of the western Rocky Mountains do we 
find Jerseys successfully established. Without question this breed 
readily adjusts itself to its environment, not only in America but 
also in various other countries. 



THE JERSEY 



331 



The prolificacy and vitality of the Jersey may be regarded as 
very fair, and in those herds long continued under uniform man- 
agement the cows of this breed reproduce with reasonable regu- 
larity. Under average conditions the Jersey may be expected to 
produce one calf a year, and while twins occasionally are dropped 
they are the rare exception. The cows breed for many years, and 
it is no uncommon thing to find animals twelve years or more of 
age that have been steady producers. Figgis, the champion cow 
at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, was thirteen years old 
and Marjoram 2d sixteen years old at the World's Columbian 
Exposition. Lass's Jewel 
1 1 32 1 1 up to eighteen 
years of age had dropped 
twelve calves and so also 
had St. Lambert's Riotress 
106220. Pogis Irene 2d 
146435 at the age of fif- 
teen years completed a 
year's official record of 
9177 pounds of milk and 
was the mother of ten 
calves. There are many 
examples of aged Jersey 
bulls, notable among 
them Pedro, in service un- 
til nearly twenty years old. 

The temperament and disposition of the Jersey may be viewed 
from the sex standpoint in two ways : the cows are very mild 
and gentle of disposition and are easily handled when given 
kindly care. The bulls, however, tend to be nervous and irritable 
and need to be handled with much care and discretion. Even on 
the island, where the cows have the most friendly relationship 
with the caretakers, the bulls are nervous and are given very re- 
stricted liberties. There are examples of males of the breed that 
are quiet and tractable, but in general the bulls of none of our 
other breeds of cattle are so nervous and require such careful 
watching and restriction as does the Jersey. Age does not seem 
■to modify the disposition of the average bull of the breed, and 
the wise Jersey cattleman will take no chances with his bull. 




Fig, 139. Pedro 3187 at eighteen years of age. 
Grand-champion Jersey male at the World's 
Columbian Exposition, 1893, and one of the 
most noted of American-bred Jersey bulls ; long 
at the head of the herd of Mr. T. S. Cooper, 
Coopersburg, Pennsylvania. From photograph, 
by courtesy of Mr. Cooper 



332 CATTLE 

The prepotency of the Jersey is one of its striking character- 
istics. Koth form and color are transmitted from generation to 
generation in a marked degree. In well-established herds, where 
systematic breeding is attempted, one may find striking evidences 
of this prepotency, notably in head, udder, and color. Used on 
grade herds the Jersey bull impresses himself on his offspring to 
such an extent that the herd takes on all the external evidence 
of the pure-bred. 

The Jersey in crossing or grading may be used to great advan- 
tage, at least in the latter way. There are many high-grade Jersey 
herds in the country that are very profitable producers of butter 
and milk. If bulls of proper breeding and individual merit are 
used on native cows very superior dairy herds should result. If 
crossed with other breeds the Jersey should be used under con- 
ditions that are not too violent as extremes. The author has seen 
some very attractive examples of using a Dexter bull on Jersey cows, 
in which small dairy cows of very milky character were produced. 

The Jersey as a beef producer is not worthy of serious consid- 
eration. The meat is rich in quality and fine of grain but is too 
yellow in fat coloring to suit butchers. Jersey steers will lay on 
flesh fairly well, but do not dress out well in slaughtering, having 
more offal and internal fat than the distinctive beef breeds. In 
a breed-feeding experiment for beef at the Michigan Agricul- 
tural College the Jersey steer Roscoe at 1161 days weighed 1490 
pounds (showing a daily gain of 1.28 pounds) and dressed out 
59.4 per cent, compared with a Shorthorn which dressed out 
66.8 per cent. Of six breeds tested the Jersey made the poorest 
showing. Three Jersey steers fed by two experiment stations, as 
reported by Henry in " Feeds and Feeding," showed an average 
daily gain for 1058 days of 1.36 pounds per day, ranking ninth 
among eleven breeds in daily gain, but standing last in per cent 
of dressed weight. In a steer-feeding experiment conducted by 
the Iowa Station with nine breeds, the valuation placed on the 
Jersey carcass by Chicago experts was $4.50 a hundred, the lowest 
of the nine, the Hereford being $6.62}. 

The Jersey as a producer of milk, under average conditions, 
does not rank high. However, since official tests have become 
common, we find many Jersey cows that have produced relatively 



THE JERSEY 



333 



large yields of milk. Many years ago, when only private tests 
were made of Jersey production, some records were regarded as 
large that since have been displaced by official ones, f'or exam- 
ple, Gertie of Glynllyn 74474 was credited in 1 898-1 899 with 
16,780 pounds of milk. La Petite Mere 2d 128 10 with 16,699 
pounds 8 ounces in 188 5-1 886, and Matilda 4th 128 16 with 
1 6, 1 5 3 pounds 1 2 ounces the same year, these being regarded as 




Fig. 140. Raleigh's Fairy Boy 83767, imported by T. S. Cooper and sold at his 

1909 sale for $8200 to C. I. Hudson of New York. Notable as a champion 

and sire. A fine example of the modern Island-type bull. From photograph, 

by courtesy of Mr. Hudson 

remarkable records. In one day Adelaide of St. Lambert 73652 
gave a yield of 75 pounds 12 ounces. But it is no longer neces- 
sary to quote private records, for official testing is now established 
on a large scale and the records of many cows are available. The 
table on page 334 contains some of the more important register-of- 
merit records for one year of milk production. 

In addition to these records there have been many large milk 
records of Jerseys for either longer or shorter periods. Some of 
the notable examples are as follows: Sophie 19th of Hood Farm 
189748 produced in eight consecutive years 100,557 pounds of 



334 CATTLE 

High Official Annual Milk Records of Jersey Cows 



Name and Number of Cow 



Passport 219742 

Eminent's Bess 209719 .... 
Lass 40th of Hood Farm 223642 . 
Lass 66th of Hood Farm 271S96 . 
Sophie 19th of Hood Farm 1S9748 
Jacoba Irene 146443 . . . . . 
Blue Fox's Eminent's Chromo 3177," 
Temisia's Owl's Rose 215973 . 
Dosoris Park Lily 223783 . . 
Spermfield Owl's Eva 193934 . 



^,6 



Year of Test 



1914-1915 
I 9 1 I - 1 9 I 2 
I9I2-I913 
I9I4-I915 
I912-I9I3 
I 908- I 909 
I917-I918 
I914-I915 
I916-I917 
I9I2-I9I3 



Milk Yield 



19,694 lb. 2.0 oz. 

18,782 lb. 15.6 oz. 

18,661 lb. 7.0 oz. 

17,793 It). 1 1.2 oz. 

17,557 lb. 12.0 oz. 

17,253 lb. 3.2 oz. 

17,217 lb. S.o oz. 

17,056 lb. 6.4 oz. 

.16,728 lb. 1.6 oz. 

16,457 lb. 6.4 oz. 



milk ; Spermfield Owl's Eva 193934, from November, 1906, to 
December, 1916, produced 90,642 pounds of milk — an average 
of 9065 pounds a year for ten consecutive years ; Pogis Irene 2d 
146435 at eighteen years of age produced 9930 pounds of 
milk ; Lucky Farce 298177 produced in one year (commencing a 
yearling) 14,260 pounds of milk; Jacoba Irene 146443 in one 
day produced 69.8 pounds of milk; Passport 219742 averaged 
53.9 pounds daily for three hundred and sixty-five days. 

In the ninety-day test at the Columbian Exposition the 25 
Jersey cows in the trial, including sick ones, averaged 33 pounds 
of milk daily, while in the Louisiana Purchase Exposition test 
25 cows during ninety days averaged 41.5 pounds of milk per 
day. Up to May i, 19 19, there were in register of merit tests 
1 1493 cows and heifers of various ages. Yearly records of nearly 
7000 cows have averaged 7808 pounds of milk each. 

The Jersey as a milk-fat producer is justly famous. An impor- 
tant feature in connection with Jersey milk is that the fat globules 
are comparatively large and the cream rises or separates easily. 
The value of Jersey milk for producing superior butter was 
recognized over a century ago in England and first attracted 
Dauncey to the breed. Many fine records have been made in 
England and on the island of Jersey, but America has led in 
the testing of this breed. In 1853 the first Jersey butter test 
was made in this country, Thomas Motley of Massachusetts test- 
ing the cow Flora 113, when, as a three-year-old, 14 pounds 



THE JERSEY 



335 



8 ounces of butter was made in seven days from her milk. The 
same year the cow Rose 240 yielded 17 pounds in seven days. 
From this time thousands of seven-day tests have been made of 
Jersey cows, showing records ranging from 14 pounds of churned, 
salted, and worked butter, up to that of Princess 2d 8046, reported 
in 1885 to have made an official test of 46 pounds 121^ ounces in 
one week. The testing of Jerseys for butter production became so 
extensive that Major Campbell Brown of Tennessee and others 
collated and published two volumes of such tests, and later, in 
1890, the American Jersey Cattle Club took up this work officially. 
Several thousand records have been published in book form by 
the club. Many of these records were so high as to cause sus- 
picion of the integrity of the testing, which finally resulted in the 
club's providing for butter-fat tests as well as churn tests, to be 
supervised by experiment-station or agricultural-college officials. 
However, between 1879 and 1892 a number of remarkable 
records were claimed of yearly butter production in private tests. 
The following six cows attained great fame in this connection : 



Name and Number of Cow 

Eurotas 2454 

Mary Ann of St. Lambert 9770 
Landseers' Fancy 2876 . . . 

Eurotissima 29668 

Bisson's Belle 31 144 . . . . 
Signal's Lily Flagg 31035 . . 



Record 



778 lb. I oz. 
867 lb. I4f oz. 
936 lb. I4f oz. 
945 lb. 9 oz. 
1025 lb. 15 oz. 
1047 It), f oz. 



Duration 



365 days 
365 days 
365 days 
365 days 
365 days 
365 days 



Year of Test 



1879-1880 
1883-1884 
1885-1886 
1886-1887 
I 888-1 889 
1801-1802 



Since 1893, when the Jersey breed took official part in the 
dairy breed competition at the World's Columbian Exposition 
and disinterested persons supervised the tests, such large private 
tests have not been reported. Unquestionably many Jersey cows 
will yield from 14 to 17 pounds of butter in a week, while a few 
may pass 20 pounds. The best record made in a week at the 
Columbian was by the cow Brown Bessie 74997 of 20.163 pounds ; 
in thirty consecutive days her yield was 77.319 pounds. In the 
Columbian Exposition tests the Jersey excelled both Guernsey 
and Shorthorn in butter-fat production. At the Pan-American 
Exposition in 1901 the Jersey stood second among ten breeds in 



336 



CATTLE 



profitable fat production, the Guernsey leading. In the Louisiana 
Purchase Exposition the Jersey surpassed the Holstein-Friesian 
and Brown Swiss in butter and cost of production, the aver- 
age cost per pound being lo^ cents for the Jersey, 13.^ cents for 
the Holstein, and I4| cents for the Brown Swiss. In ninety 
days in this test the Jersey cow Loretta D. 14 1708 produced 
280.16 pounds butter fat, which returned a net profit of ^50.52. 




Fig. 141. Oxford Majesty 134090 (imp.) at twelve years of age. A remarkably 
prepotent sire of great show cows. Owned by A. K. Heath, Creamery, Pennsyl- 
vania. From photograph, by courtesy of Mr. Heath 



Authenticated butter-fat tests of Jersey cows were given 
indorsement on May 6, 1903, by the American Jersey Cattle 
Club, when what was designated a " Register of Merit" of Jersey 
cattle was established. The purpose of this was to raise to a 
higher standard the average excellence of the Jersey cow and to 
secure additional authoritative and permanent record to which 
reference could be made in the selection of breeding animals. 
Cows are divided into three classes : A, AA, and B. A cow is 
entitled to entry in Class A after producing in one year the 
amount of butter fat or butter specified by the rules. A cow is 
entitled to entry in Class AA provided she produces the required 



THE JERSEY 337 

butter fat or butter, and also produces a living calf, which has 
been carried at least one hundred and fifty-five days during the 
test. Class B is for seven-day official tests of butter-fat or butter 
production, A bull is entitled to entry in the register of merit 
after three of his daughters from as many different dams have 
been entered on the year's authenticated test. ' ' These tests are 
supervised by a representative of a State, Provincial or National 
experiment station or agricultural college, who certifies as to the 
weight of the milk, and the percentage of fat it contains on the 
days on which the cow is under official test."^ 

The required yield in authenticated tests of Jerseys is as follows: 

If the test is commenced the day the cow is two years old, or previous to 
that day, she must produce within one year from the date the test begins, 
250.5 lb. butter fat. For each day the cow is over two years old at the begin- 
ning of her year's test, the amount of butter fat she must produce in the year 
is fixed by adding o.i (one-tenth) of a pound for each such day to the 250.5 lb. 
required when two years old. This ratio of increase applies until the cow 
is five years old at the beginning of her test, when the required amount will 
have reached 360 lb., which will be the amount of butter fat required of all 
cows five years old or over. These standards are based upon one complete 
year's record, from the time of beginning, regardless of any time which may 
be lost by being dry or calving during that period. 

Since the establishment of the authenticated butter-fat tests a 
large number of cows have secured a place in the register of 
merit. During March, 19 19, there were entered 2812 cows in 
official tests, while the previous March, 2703 animals were tested. 
The ten leading Jersey cows in butter-fat tests for one year, 
as recorded in the register of merit, are as follows : 

Vive La France 3 1 96 1 6 produced 1031.641b. fat 

Sophie's Agnes 296759 produced 1000.07 lb. fat 

Sophie 19th of Hood Farm 189748. . produced 999.10 lb. fat 

Spermfield Owl's Eva 193934 . . . produced 993.30 lb. fat 

Old Man's Darling 2d 31 961 7 . . . produced 983.68 lb. fat 

Eminent's Bess 209719 produced 962.80 lb. fat 

Dosoris Park Lily 233783 produced 957.43 lb. fat 

Jacoba Irene 146443 produced 952.90 lb. fat 

St. Mawes Poppy 219992 produced 952.28 lb. fat 

Olympia's Fern 252060 produced 937.80 lb. fat 

1 Register of Merit of Jersey Cattle, December, 1917. 



338 



CATTLE 



Perhaps the most remarkable test up to 191 8 was that of the 
three-year-old-cow Vive La France 3 196 16, owned in Oregon, 
that produced 12,744.8 pounds of milk in three hundred and 
sixty-five days, testing 892.63 pounds fat. Sophie 19th of Hood 
Farm occupies the greatest place of distinction among Jersey 
cows as a long-distance performer, for in eight periods of 
lactation up to 19 19 she has produced a total of 5787 pounds of 

fat, or more than three 
tons of estimated butter. 
About January I, 19 16, 
Secretary Gow of the 
American Jersey Cattle 
Club stated ^ that the 
average per cent of fat 
in the milk of 4295 
official annual tests was 
5.34 per cent, which is 
probably slightly higher 
than would prevail un- 
der average conditions, 
when tests were not con- 
ducted. In reporting on 
the results of tests in 
age classes Mr. Gow 
stated that 1528 two- 
year-old cows averaged 
352.75 pounds fat, 769 
three-year-olds averaged 396.10 pounds fat, 539 four-year-olds 
averaged 448.80 pounds fat, and 1461 cows five years old aver- 
aged 479.40 pounds fat. These records are extremely creditable 
to the breed and giv^e ample evidence of the capacity of the 
Jersey as a producer. 

Jersey milk in cheese production is used to but a limited 
degree. At one time it was thought that milk of average butter- 
fat content made a better cheese than that of richer quality. 
However, the investigations in the working dairy at the World's 
Columbian Exposition at Chicago demonstrated that milk rich 

1 Hoarcfs Dahyman, December 24, 191 5. 




Fig. 142. Agatha's Oxford Noble, P. 4850 H. C. 
First-prize bull over Jersey bulls from tested dams, 
191 2. Owner, J. II. Perree, Oaklands, island of Jer- 
sey. From photograph by the author 



THE JERSEY 



339 



in butter fat made more valuable and better cheese than milk 
inferior in butter fat. In the Exposition cheese test the following 
records were secured in a fifteen-day test : 



Breed 


Amount 
Cheese. 


Value 


Cost 


Value 
Pound 


Amount Milk per 
Pound Cheese 


Jersey .... 
Guernsey . . 
Shorthorn . 


1451.76 lb. 
1130.62 lb. 
1077.60 lb. 


$193.98 
135-22 
140.14 


$98.14 
76.25 
99-36 


$0.1 3J 
0.12 
0.13 


9.16 lb. 

9.67 lb. 

11.3. lb. 



This record clearly shows that Jersey milk holds a high place 
in cheese production. It finds its most important use, however, 
in butter-making or in the retail milk trade, comparatively little 
being made into cheese. 

Jersey families of distinction are to-day divided into two 
groups : those more especially of island breeding and those of 
American breeding quite removed from recent island importation. 
There are examples, however, in which there is essentially a 
combination of blood lines from the two groups. There has also 
been a tendency on the part of some to regard certain lines of 
breeding as distinct families, although in fact these are more 
strictly speaking subfamilies. These branch families are perhaps 
justifiable, but special recognition is sometimes given which is 
hardly worth while. Some person successfully promotes a line 
of breeding and then gives a family title to the same, which 
becomes adopted by common usage. However, the following 
described families may be regarded as the more distinguished 
of the many to which reference might be made. 



Island-Bred Families 

The Golden Lad family descends from Sultane, P. 7 H. C, 
but derives its name from the bull Golden Lad, P. 1242 H. C, 
first-prize bull over the Island in 1890. Golden Lad was sired 
by Sultane's Favourite, P. 873 H. C. and had for dam Golden 
Lass 4th, P. 2447 H. C., second prize on Jersey in 1888, a 
granddaughter of Sultane, P. 7 H. C. and regarded as founder 
of this family. Many of the most famous of the Island-bred 
animals trace directly back to Golden Lad. 



340 CATTLE 

The Oxford family descends from Oxford Daisy, F. 6816 
H. C, but receives its special distinction tlirough Oxford Lass, 
P. 3582, C, one of the most noted cows produced on the island. 
Oxford Lass was dam of Oxford Lad, P. 3123 H. C, one of 
the great bulls of the island, sire of Majesty, Lucy's Champion, 
and Sultana's Oxford Lad, and also sire of forty-two tested cows. 
Oxford Lass was also granddam of Oxford You '11 Do 1 1 1 860 
(imp.), winner of first prize over Jersey in 191 1 and a noted sire 
of tested cows. The Oxford family is one of the most popular 
of present-day island breeding. 

The Cowslip family descends from Cowslip, P. 24 C, a first- 
prize cow on the island in 1876. Her granddaughter Cowslip 
1 6th, P. 6084 H. C, by Golden Lad, is regarded as the essential 
head of this family. Cowslip i6th was winner of the Parish 
Prize on the island in 1902, but she is most noted as the 
;^50oo cow, dam and granddam of a number of animals of 
exceptional merit, especially in production. 

The Fontaine family began with Fontaine, F. 2058 C, first 
over Jersey in 1886, and a heavy milk producer. Her daughter 
Fontaine 4th, P. 2537 C, was dam of Fontaine 7th, 9th, and 
loth, first-prize winners on the island. P^ontaine's Chief, P. 
4153 H. C, was noted as a show bull, both on the island and in 
America, and has a large number of ofificially tested daughters 
to his credit. 

The Financial Interest family descends from Interest, F. 3582 
C, a remarkable producer of milk and progeny. She has an 
island record of 56 pounds of milk in twenty-four hours and 25 
pounds 6 ounces of butter in seven days. She produced a number 
of notable daughters, including P'inance, P. S. 461 1 C, the dam of 
Financial Pride and Financial Queen, P. S. ']'j66 H. C, 155098, 
the latter being dam of Financial Countess 155 100 with register 
of merit record of 935 pounds 10 ounces of butter in a year. 
Financial King, P. 2624 H. C, a son of P'inance, was sire of 
uncommonly high-class cows, including Financial Countess 
1 55 100, Plnancial Interest 167527, and Financial Princess 
167528. P>om Compound Interest 152 193 (imp.), a daughter 
of Interest, came Interested Prince 58224 (imp,), one of the 
most notable recent-day sires. 



THE JERSEY 



341 



The Rosette family traces from Rosette through her daughter 
Rosette 2d, F. 943 H. C. and her granddaughter Rosette 4th, 
P. 2128 C. Bred to Sarabond, P. 797 H, C, Rosette 4th pro- 
duced Rosette 5th, P. 2881 H. C, imported by Mr. Cooper under 
the name of Sultana's Rosette 149740. She proved a remark- 
able breeder and dropped the bulls Flying Fox, P. 2729 H. C. 
(Champion Flying Fox 61 441, imp.), Ravachol, P. 2032 C, 
and Forfarshire, P. 2914 H. C, three of the great island-bred 
bulls, and the cow 
Alicante, P. 3880 
H. C, dam of the 
Owl, P. 2195 H. C, 
a leading island-bred 
sire, first over Jersey 
in 1897. Spermfield 
Owl 57088, a son of 
the Owl, has been one 
of the leading sires in 
America, his daugh- 
ters Spermfield Owl's 
Eva, Spermfield Owl's 
Temisia, Owl's Sayda 
Queen, Owl's Inter- 
ested Tones, Sperm- 
field Owl's Victoria 
Lass, and Violet's Owl 

being a remarkable group of sisters with milk records ranging 
from 13,158 pounds to 16,457 pounds and butter-fat records 
ranging from 680 pounds to 993 pounds. 




Fig. 143. Sultan's Finance (14100), first-prize cow 

over Jersey. A very beautiful Island type. From 

photograph by the author 



American Jer.sey Families 

The Signal family descends from old Pansy 8, calved in 
1853 and imported when two years old by Mr. John T. Norton 
of Connecticut. She had four daughters — Pansy 2d 259, Pansy 
5th 414, Pansy 6th 38, and Pansy 7th 130 — and two sons — 
York 8 and Living Storm 173. Pansy 6th 38 dropped ten sons 
and daughters, one of which. Pansy Morris 2060, calved in 1870, 



342 



CATTLE 



was the dam of Signal 1 1 70, one of the most notable and 
prepotent sires of the breed in the last quarter of the nineteenth 
century. Cows of Signal breeding were greatly in favor and 
especially notable for being producers of butter fat. 

The Coomassie family descends from Coomassie 1 1 874, imported 
in 1 88 1 by S. M. Burnham. Coomassie was the dam of Khedive, 
P. 103, the sire of Princess 2d, with a so-called official test of 
46 pounds 12.^ ounces of butter in seven days. Tormentor 3533 
(imp.), one of the greatest bulls of the breed, was a grandson of 

Coomassie, being sired 
by Khedive. Many 
persons have consid- 
ered Coomassie the 
greatest cow ever im- 
ported from the island. 
In 1885 L.S.Hardin 
wrote 1 : "Her blood 
has developed the 
greatest individual 
butter maker, Prin- 
cess 2d, and thirty- 
one animals with tests 
of fourteen pounds 
and over in direct de- 
scent from her, with- 
out the aid of any 
special outcross." 
The Eurotas family descends from Eurotas 2454, calved in 
1874. This is also referred to as the Alphea family, for the 
reason that Eurotas was a granddaughter of Alphea 171. Eurotas, 
herself a remarkable dam, with a private record of 778 pounds 
I ounce of butter in a year, was also dam of eight sons and two 
daughters of exceptional merit. Her son Pedro 3187 will always 
be regarded as one of the greatest sires of the breed, and through 
him is a long list of unusual sons and daughters. In 19 18 
Mr. T. S. Cooper, long the owner of Pedro, wrote ^i "With 

^ The Jersey Cow. A pamphlet by the American Jersey Cattle Club. 
"^Jersey Bulletin^ March 27, 1918. 




Fig. 144. Eurotas 2454 (imp.), a Jersey cow 
remarkable as a great dam and also as a producer 
of milk. The mother of Pedro. She had a private 
record of 77S pounds of churned butter in eleven 
months five days. Owned by A. B. Darling. From 
photograph by Schreiber 



THE JERSEY 343 

128 tested daughters and granddaughters, the Jersey breed 
appears to have been benefited by the influence of Pedro 3187." 
Coomassie and Eurotas blood blended especially well. 

The St. Lambert family originated at St. Lambert, Quebec, 
Canada, through importation made in 1868 by the Stephens 
family. This original herd consisted of two bulls and fifteen 
cows, with the later addition of two cows and a bull. " To be, 




Fig. 145. Mary Anne of St. Lambert 9770, classed as one of the most beautiful 

Jersey cows of her time. The property of Valancey E. Fuller (then of Canada), 

she had a private record of 867 pounds 14^ ounces butter in three hundred and 

sixty-five days. From photograph by Schreiber 

technically speaking," writes Mr. Valancey E. Fuller, the best 
authority on this family,^ "a pure St. Lambert, an animal must 
have as a foundation, without an outcross, one of the following 
bulls : Defiance 196, Victor Hugo 197, or Stoke Pogis 3d 2238 ; 
and one of the following cows : Victoria 411, Pride of Windsor 
283, Amelia 484, Juliet 485, Alice 488, Hebe 489, Berthe 490, 
Bonnie 491, Lizette 492, Ophelie 493, Pauline 494, Lydie 495, 
Portie 496, Fancy 13 18, Beauty 13 19, Taffy 5523, or Topsey 

1 Valancey E. Fuller, The St. Lambert Family of Jerseys. 



344 CATTLE 

St. Lambert 5524." It is also claimed with reason that Stoke 
Pogis 1259 (imp.) and Marjoram 3239 (imp.) should be regarded 
as in this foundation stock. The fame of this family was first 
promoted by Mr. Fuller, who, in 1881, purchased a number of 
St. Lambert Jerseys from William Rolph of Markham, Ontario. 
Finally he purchased Mary Ann of St. Lambert 9770, sired by 
Stoke Pogis 3d 2238 (imp.), one of the famous cows of the 
breed, with a private record for a year of 867 pounds 14^ ounces 
of butter. Stoke Pogis 3d proved a most successful sire, and a 
daughter of his, Ida of St. Lambert 24990, bred to Bachelor of 
St. Lambert 4558, produced Ida's Rioter of St. Lambert 13656 
and also Exile of St. Lambert 13657, the latter being credited 
with more tested daughters than any other son of this family. 
The St. Lamberts have had a great run of popularity, but in 
recent years the newer Island-bred families have superseded this. 
However, many of the recent-day American-bred Jerseys of special 
merit trace directly back into this St. Lambert breeding. Naturally 
this large family has broken up into various branches, or subfamilies. 

The Combination family descends from Lady Mel 429, calved 
in 1868 and bred by S. W. Robbins of Connecticut. Her 
daughter Lady Mel 2d 1795, by Albert 44, proved a remarkable 
cow, having in 1875 a butter test of 183 pounds in sixty-one days 
and being the dam of seven registered bull calves and four 
heifers. The bull Combination 4389, a son of Lady Mel 429, 
gives the name to this family. He sired many producing sons 
and daughters, among which Diploma 162 19 was most distin- 
guished, he siring many tested cows, including Merry Maiden 
64949, champion cow in the World's Columbian Exposition at 
Chicago among 74 cows from three different breeds. Brown Bessie 
74997, the champion cow in the dairy test at the same expo- 
sition, was a granddaughter of Combination on the dam's side. 
Merry Maiden's 3d Son 60516, champion of the breed at the 
Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904, is the sire of numerous 
sons and daughters in the register of merit. This is one of the 
popular American Jersey families. 

The Tormentor family receives its name from the bull Tor- 
mentor 3533 (imp.), he being sired by Khedive, P. 103 and out 
of Angela, F. S. 1607, a daughter of the noted Coomassie 11874 



THE JERSEY 



345 



(imp.), which of course makes Tormentor a member of the 
Coomassie family. Tormentor proved to be one of the greatest 
Jersey sires, both of males and females. In the days of private 
tests his daughters reached high records, and his sons were 
credited with many daughters with tests of note. Tormentor 
breeding has received special distinction through his son Sophie's 
Tormentor 20883, the sire of Sophie 19th of Hood Farm 189743, 
without question thus far the greatest producing cow of the breed. 
Figgis 76106, champion Jersey cow at the Louisiana Purchase 




Fig. 146. Sophie 19th of Hood Farm 189748, the greatest producing Jersey cow 
in history. In seven periods of lactation she produced 5280 pounds of butter fat. 
Owner Hood Farm, Lowell, Massachusetts. From photograph by the author 

Exposition and one of the great Jersey matrons, was a daughter 
of Sophie's Tormentor and mother of Hood Farm Pogis 9th 
55552, that up to January, 191 8, had more sons and daughters 
in the register of merit than any other bull of the breed, including 
three cows with records of over 700 pounds of fat each in a year. 
Jacoba Irene 146443, celebrated as one of the greatest producing 
Jersey females, is five generations removed from Tormentor on 
the dam's side. Among American Jersey families this at the 
present day is a prime favorite. 

The Sayda family has for founder Sayda 4440, by Ned Booth 
1 501. Her daughter Sayda 3d 173 17 was tenth in the Jersey 
herd at the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893. This family 
has been especially promoted by Ayer and McKinney, Meridale 



346 



CATTLE 



Farms, Meredith, New York, where Sayda's Queen of Ventnor 
168033, by Sayda's Heir 45360, made the great record of 13,280 
pounds milk and 890 pounds -butter at twelve years of age. She 
has 4 daughters in the register of merit that average 1 1 ,604 
pounds milk and 764 pounds butter. Sayda's Heir 3d 74817 (full 
brother of Sayda's Queen of Ventnor) up to January, 1919, sired 
50 cows and 2 bulls recorded in the register of merit. The Sayda 
and Owl-Interest families are said to blend especially well. 

The Owl-Interest 
family was established 
by R.A.Sibley, Moose 
Hill Farms, Spen- 
cer, Massachusetts, by 
crossing the bull 
Spermfield Owl 5 7088 
on daughters of Inter- 
ested Prince 58224 
(imp.), and vice versa. 
These two sires were 
purchased in 1 900 and 
used in service for 
many years at Moose 
Hill Farms. Remark- 
able records have been 
produced by members 
of this family. Ini9i8 
Mr. Sibley published a 
list of 31 Owl-Interest cows in his herd, with official milk records 
ranging from 9853 to 17,056 pounds and butter fat records from 
595 to 993 pounds. This family is meeting with much favor. 

Jersey bulls of distinction as sires may be divided into three 
groups : (i) notable early foundation animals, (2) sires of private- 
test offspring, and (3) sires of register-of-merit progeny, this 
latter group being of real significance at this time. 

Important foundation sires include Albert 44, Brown Prince 
F. 85, Clement l\ 61, Colonel y6, Jupiter 93, Khedive, P. 103, 
Landseer 331, Marius 760, Mercury 432, Noble 592 E, Pilot 3, 
Pope 652 E, Rioter 746 E, Rioter 2d 469 E, Splendens 16, 




Fig. 147. Sayda's Queen of Ventnor 16S033. She 
has the great record as a twelve-year-old of produc- 
ing 13,280 pounds of milk and 890 pounds of butter. 
Owner, Meridale Farms, New York. From photo- 
graph, by courtesy of American Agriculturist 



THE JERSEY 



347 



Splendid 2, St. Helier 45, Stoke Pogis 1259, Sultan F. 58, Victor 
Hugo 197, Welcome F. 166, 

Jersey sires of private-test offspring of note include the 
following: Diploma 162 19, Exile of St. Lambert 13657, Fancy's 
Harry 9777, Ida's Rioter of St. Lambert 13656, King of St. Lam- 
bert's King 30752, Pedro 3187, St. Lambert Boy 17408, Stoke 
Pogis 3d 2238, Stoke Pogis 55th 987, Tormentor 3533 (imp.). 

Jersey sires of register-of-merit sons and daughters very 
naturally occupy first consideration to-day. In fact, in a careful 
study of Jersey pedigrees, register-of-merit tests on a yearly 
basis should be prime factors in consideration. It is no longer 
necessary or desirable to give serious thought to the private tests, 
although these offer important evidence. In these days of exten- 
sive official testing the records of sires are constantly changing, 
but the following list of sires,i compiled by Mr. H. F. Probert, 
based on daughters that have produced over 10,000 pounds of 
milk under register-of-merit testing, is of special interest. 

Leading Jersey Sires with Daughters producing over 
10,000 Pounds of Milk a Year 



Name of Cow 


Number 

OF 

Daughters 


Average 
Pounds 

Milk 


Average 

Pounds 

Fat 


Average 

Age 
Yr., Mo. 


Total Num- 
ber of Regis- 
terof Merit 
Daughters 


Hood Farm Torono 60326 . 
Interested Prince 58224 
Spermfield Owl 57088 . . 
Raleigh's Fairy Boy 83767 . 
Foxhall's Jubilee 76944 . . 
Hood Farm Pogis 9th 55552 
Royal Majesty 79313 . . 
Loretta's King 65050 . . 
Eminent's Raleigh 6901 1 . 
Golden Glow's Chief 61460 


-7 
10 

25 
12 
12 
12 

17 
8 

9 
8 


12,949.4 
12,384.4 
12,142.4 
11,894.2 
11,812.8 
11,719.0 
I 1,706.4 
11,594.1 

II.45I-3 
11,443.4 


674-45 
614.82 
632.62 
573-32 
578-93 
603.50 
608.34 
612.60 
553-40 
631.69 


4 9 
8 

7 I 

5 8 

5 I 
7 3 

6 6 

5 3 

7 3 

6 2 


43 
49 
43 
22 

78 

37 
43 
27 
27 


Average 
Total 


14 
140 


12,021.07 


608.67 


6 3 


442 



Mr. Probert compiled two groups of leading sires, the above being 
the first one. Commenting on this study he writes as follows : 

"^ Jersey Bulletin, March 13, 1918. 



348 



CATTLE 



Mere is the point I want to get at, that these bulls that have the large 
amount of milk are the bulls that have the large amount of butter fat. They 
travel hand in hand. Look for one and you will get the other. I have 
taken the next bunch of bulls that have over four daughters that have 
10,000 pounds of milk to their credit, and there are ten of them that 
have five, two that have six, and two that have seven, and they immediately 
drop off in large production. 

A comparison of native with Island-bred Jersey sires is of 
interest for the reason that American breeders are repeatedly 
questioning the productive capacity of Island-bred stock. Mr. 
John R. Sibley, a most successful Jersey breeder, has contributed 
much interesting information on this subject.^ Based on register- 
of-merit work, he gives the following two groups of each of the 
ten leading sires of native and imported breeding. 

Leading Native Jersey Bulls to January i, 19 iS 



Names 


Number and Per cent 
OF Daughters 


Average Production 
IN Pounds 


Number 
in R. M. 


Number 
registered 


Per cent 
in R. M. 


Millv 


Fat 


Hood FarmTogis 9th 55552 
Hood Farm Torono 60326 . 
Spermfield Owl 57088 . . 
Loretta's King 65050 . . 
Sayda's Heir 3d 74817 . 
Hector Marigold 59121 . . 
Irene's King Pogis 73182 . 
Lady Letty's Victor 65020 . 
Royal Majesty of St. Cloud 
King Sappho King 65262 . 


78 

73 
49 

43 
42 

34 

31 
29 
29 
28 


130 

109 
66 

'32 

82 
118 

JOS 

114 

86 

71 


60 

67 
74 
3- 
50 
28 

30 
25 
34 
40 


7,553 

9,953 

10,259 

7-787 
8,078 

6,530 

7,922 

7,825 
6,747 
7,973 


4.6 

533 
542 
410 

460 

390 
469 

433 
395 
368 



In the list of eight gold-medal Jersey bulls up to November i, 
19 19, Hood Farm Torono leads with his ten highest-testing 
daughters, averaging 8 1 1 pounds fat in a year. Pogis 99th of 
Hood Inirm comes second, his ten best daughters averaging 805 
pounds fat, and Spermfield Owl, third, liis ten best daughters 
averaging 743 pounds fat. The remaining bulls in the list are 
St. Mawes, The Imported Jap, Golden Glow's Chief, Royal Majesty, 
and Oxford You '11 Do. 



^Jersey Bulletin, various issues, especially March and April, 1918. 



'JHE JERSEY 349 

Leading Imported Jersey Bulls to January i, 1918 









Sons 
in R. M. 


Daughters 
inR. M. 


Average Yearly Production 




Milk 


Fat 


Interested Trince 5S224 . . . 


10 


43 


8,48j 


461 


Raleigh's Fairy Boy 83767 






4 


43 


9,170 


439 


Gamboge's Knight 95698 . 






3 


40 


8,174 


444 


Royal Majesty 79313 . . 






4 


2,7 


9,805 


520 


Noble of Oaklands 95700 . 






16 


37 


6,356 


381 


Eminent 69631 .... 






18 


31 


8,318 


441 


Eminent's Raleigh 6901 1 . 






3 


27 


9,272 


454 


Golden Maid's Prince 9353^^ 






2 


27 


8,757 


463 


The Imported Jap 75265 . 








25 


6,543 


391 


Gedney Farm Oxford Lad 7 1 238 




12 


24 


8,486 


445 



Prices for Jersey cattle have soared very high, but as there 
are large numbers of animals of the breed one may find values 
of all degrees from high to low. Many notable sales have been 
held during the past both in England and America but more 
especially in the United States, When the Dauncey herd was 
dispersed in England in 1867 ninety animals averaged in excess 
of $200 each. P'or many years T. S. Cooper of I'ennsylvania 
has been the most noted figure in selling high-class Jerseys at 
long prices. In 1882 he astonished the Jersey world by buying 
Pedro 3187 at private sale for $10,000. On May 17 and 18, 
1883, in the American Institute building in New York City, 
Mr. Cooper disposed of 119 animals for $ii3,370, an average 
of $952.68 each. The average for 82 cows and heifers over a 
year old was $1172.68, and the 57 top-selling females averaged 
$1553.15. This was one of the most notable sales of the breed. 
On May 30, 1900, Mr. Cooper adopted the custom of holding 
an annual Decoration Day sale for Island-bred cattle, which is 
the most notable event of its kind in Jersey annals. In his 19 18 
catalogue Mr. Cooper states that in seventeen successive years 
(excepting 191 5, when no sale was held) he sold 2082 animals, 
imported and home bred, for a total of $1,093,760, or an aver- 
age of $525 per head. No other man has brought so many noted 
animals from the Island as has Mr. Cooper, and among these 
the following are given as topping the sales for the year indicated : 



350 



CATTLE 



Champion Flying Fox 61441, ^7500 in 1902; Eminent 69631, 
^10,000 in 1905; Stockvvell 75264, $11,500 in 1907; Viola's 
Golden Jolly 79314, $11,000 in 1909; Sultana's Oxford Lad 
76506, $ii,(00 in 1910; Noble of Oaklands 95700, $15,000 
in 191 1, and his dam. Lady Viola 238439, brought $7000. On 
May 2, 19 1 8, Mr. Edmond Butler of Mt, Kisco, New York, held a 
sale, where 60 Jerseys brought a total of $60,105, an average of 
$1001.91. On this occasion the cow Briar Flower, P. 18952 
H. C. sold for $10,000 to William Ross Proctor of New York, 

who in 1 9 1 6 purchased 
the imported bull 
Golden Fern's Noble 
145762 for $25,000. 
r^our very notable Jer- 
sey sales were held in 
1919. On June 16 
Edward Gary, Carlton, 
Oregon, sold 34 head 
for $36,145, an aver- 
age of $1063.09, In 
June T. S. Cooper sold 
91 head for $82,050, 
an average of $901 .70. 
Edmond Butler, on 
August 4, sold 47 head 
for $158,250, an av- 
erage of $3367.02. 
All records were broken in this sale, for the bull Sybil's Gamboge 
(P. 5260 H. C.) sold to L. V. Walkley for $65,000. At this sale 
1 5 daughters of this bull sold for $44,600 (an average of $2973.33), 
one of which, Bagot's Gamboge Crocus 383430, brought $10,100. 
On August 5, C. F. Sturhahns, Hartford, Connecticut, sold 32 
head for $56,125, an average of $1753.91. On June i, 1918, at 
the Hood Farm sale, Lowell, Massachusetts, the aged cow Sophie's 
Agnes 296759, with the breed record for butter-fat production, 
sold for $10,099 to Ayredale Stock Farm, Maine. Thus far 
in the twentieth century the Jersey has steadily grown in popu- 
larity, and each year the total number of animals sold at auction 




Fig. 148- Lady Aldan, P. S470 H. C, one of the 
most noted cows on Jersey. Winner of the highest 
honors and dam of Golden Fern's Noble, the $25,000 
bull. Owned by J. A. Perree, Oaklands, Jersey. Pho- 
tographed at eighteen years of age by the author 



THE JERSEY 351 

runs into considerable figures. In 191 7, according to the American 
Jersey Cattle Club, 81 auction sales of pure-bred Jerseys held 
in the United States, including 3997 head, brought a total of 
$630,417, or an average of $158 each. In 19 16 in 81 sales 4337 
head averaged $154.42. With a large number of enthusiastic 
men breeding Jerseys, there is no difficulty in securing satisfactory 
prices for superior animals. 

The distribution of the Jersey is world-wide. Many herds are 
found especially in England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, 
and the United States. In the exportation which has taken place 
from the island of Jersey in the past one hundred years the 
cattle have been taken to many parts of the world, where they 
have adapted themselves very well to local conditions, all things 
considered. Denmark, for example, has made considerable use of 
the Jersey, though it is quite a secondary breed in that country. 
The United States is the great field of development of the breed, 
and according to the secretary of the American Jersey Cattle 
Club, during the year ending March 31, 191 8, there were regis- 
tered 44,887 Jerseys on the books of the club, while 35,884 
transfers of ownership of individual animals were made during 
this period. The Jersey has a widespread distribution in the 
United States, but is bred in largest numbers in the following 
states, much in the order given : Ohio, Texas, Indiana, Mis- 
souri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, and New York. These states 
are given this rating, as based on record of business in the 
American Jersey Cattle Club. In the Southern States the Jersey 
has long been a special favorite and greatly outnumbers other 
dairy-type breeds. In New England the Jersey also has a strong 
hold on popular favor. 

Organizations for promoting Jersey cattle have long existed in 
America and on Jersey Island. The Royal Jersey Agricultural 
Society, founded in 1833, assumed supervision of the breed on the 
Island and in 1866 published the first Island herdbook, since 
which date twenty-three volumes have been issued to 1917- "The 
American Jersey Herdbook," published under the direction of the 
Association of Breeders of Thoroughbred Neat Stock, with head- 
quarters in Massachusetts, was the first organization to promote 
Jersey interests in America, and published six herdbooks, the last 



352 



CATTLE 



appearing in 1878. The English Jersey Cattle Society was organ- 
ized in the seventies and up to 191 7 had published twenty-nine 
volumes. The Maine State Pure Blood Jersey Cattle Association, 
chartered in 1875, published its first herdbook in 1876 and 
Volume VIII in 1898. The American Jersey Cattle Club was 
organized in 1868 and in 1871 published its first volume; since 




Fig. 149. Lady Viola 23S437 (imi;).i. 1 u.st prize over Jersey and winner of 
the Theatre Cup in 1905. Dam of Noble of Oaklands (sold for ^15,000) and 
Viola's Golden Jolly (sold for $13,000). She was imported by T. S. Cooper and 
bought in his sale for $7500 by Elmendorf F'arm, Lexington, Kentucky. From 
photograph by the author 



that time, up to January, 19 19, ninety-five volumes had been 
issued, showing the registration by the club of 409,000 females 
and 162,000 males. There have been also published a number of 
volumes of the register of merit. On the fiftieth anniversary of 
the founding of the American Jersey Cattle Club there w^as a 
membership of 726. In 1903 the New Zealand Jersey Cattle 
Breeders' Association published its first herdbook, and fifteen 
volumes have appeared since that date. Local Jersey cattle clubs 
for the promotion of the breed have been organized in many 



THE JERSEY 353 

states. In Ohio there is the Ohio Jersey Cattle Club, with about 
218 members in 19 17, and in addition ten local clubs scattered 
over the state. \Visconsin has twenty local Jersey clubs. 

Polled Jersey cattle have been bred in America for many years, 
and in 1895 the American Polled Jersey Cattle Company was 
incorporated at Springfield, Ohio. In 1919, at the annual meeting 
of the company, the name was changed to the American Polled 
Jersey Cattle Club. Originally polled Jerseys are supposed to 
trace back to a polled cow of unknown breeding named Funston, 
calved about 1880 and the foundation of the polled type. Later 
pure-bred polled Jerseys were found, so that to-day most if not 
all of the cattle found in the polled register are hornless and 
meet all the requirements of the breed except the horns. About 
twelve hundred polled Jerseys have been registered, but no polled 
herdbook has been thus far published. Some very excellent cattle 
of this class have been bred, but polled Jerseys have not met 
with much public favor. 



CHAPTER XXXII 
THE HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN 

The native home of Holstein-Friesian cattle is in Holland, or, 
more correctly, the Netherlands, This is one of the smallest 
independent states of Europe, containing 12,741 square miles, 
with a population of about six millions, or about 470 persons to 
the square mile. There are eleven provinces, but those of Fries- 
land, Drenthe, North Holland, and South Holland are more 
especially engaged in the keeping of dairy cattle. Holland lies 
between latitudes 50° and 53° and is bounded on the west and 
north by the North Sea. Much of Holland has been reclaimed 
from the sea, and as this land lies below sea level the water is 
held back by dikes. This is the flattest part of the continent of 
Europe. Along the sea front, especially in North and South 
Holland, the land surface in places is twenty feet below sea level, 
while the average height of the entire country is only about 
thirty feet above sea level. The following interesting comment is 
given regarding the topography of Holland ^ : 

Three features, the dunes, dikes and polders, characterize the north and 
south belt nearest to the sea. The dunes stretching along the coast were formed 
by the winds and sea, which heaped up the ocean sands into rows of hills from 
20 to 60 feet apart and from 35 to 200 feet high. Wherever they front the 
coast they are adequate protection against the sea. These sand ridges and hills 
are sparsely wooded, but are saved from disintegration by natural or cultivated 
growth of plants. F"ew parts of them are tilled, but the sandy regions behind 
them are carefully cultivated. The dikes are gigantic artificial embankments of 
earth faced with stone or protected by stakes. They guard the country against the 
sea at the places where there are no dunes. The largest is the Helder Dike. There 
are also smaller dikes, as a precaution against floods, on the banks of the Rhine 
and other streams. Inside the line of dunes and dikes are great numbers of pol- 
ders, which are areas of land inclosed by dikes that not only protect them from 
floods, but also render it possible to pump out the water from within the inclosure. 

Holland is a country of canals, and in some regions these are 
found at four different elevations, the water being pumped from the 

1" The Netherlands," New International Encyclopaedia, Vol. XIV (1912), p. 396. 

354 



THE HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN 



355 



lowest to the next higher level, and so on, until carried over the 
highest dike to the sea. The canals range from small ones useful 
for drainage and divisions between farms to those of considerable 
size and depth, on which extensive traffic takes place. The damp 
climate is neither hot in summer nor severely cold in winter, the 







Fig. 150. A map of Holland and Belgium showing the provinces, the important 
cities, water courses, etc. 

average temperature being about 50 degrees. About one third of 
Holland is devoted to pasturage, and extensive market gardens are 
found near the principal cities ot Amsterdam and Rotterdam. On 
thousands of acres about Haarlem tulips, hyacinths, etc. are grown. 
The origin of Dutch cattle is very obscure. It has been claimed 
that for over a thousand years the people of Holland have kept 
cattle that have been famous for the production of milk, butter, and 



356 



CATTLE 



cheese. It has been assumed that these cattle are descended from 
the prehistoric Giant Ox {Bos tanrus priviigcniiis). Early writings 
refer to Dutch cattle as being large, more or less white in color, 
and great milk producers. Tacitus, the Roman writer, states that 
in the year a. d. 28, Drusus, the father of Germanicus, imposed 
a tax of hides of oxen upon the Friesians, which hides should 
come up to a certain standard. Tacitus, says Storer,i implies that 
this was a difficult matter and very burdensome to the Friesians, 
but the passage clearly shows that the cattle of Friesland were then 

of great size. During 
the course of time there 
have undoubtedly been 
considerable changes 
inthecattleof Holland. 
Different authorities 
bring this out. These 
changes were due to 
crossing varieties or 
breeds and to great 
epidemics. Storer com- 
ments on the fact that 
in the numerous paint- 
ings of cattle in the 
Dutch and Belgian art 
galleries, made by such 
noted artists as Paul Potter, Rubens, Cuyp, Teniers, Vandevelde, 
and others, " the Dutch cow of from 200 to 300 years since was 
totally different, both in color and form, from what she is now." 
The author has been much interested in examining many of 
these paintings in European galleries and can indorse the state- 
ment by Storer that black cattle are rare, black and white are 
still more rare, mouse-colored ones are not uncommon, neither 
are white ones with red ears ; reds of different shades, with some 
white, are quite common, while the familiar red body and white 
face of the Hereford is not uncommon. The picture of Paul 
Potter's bull (see page 253) at The Hague brings out strikingly 
these color features. In the early part of the nineteenth century 

1 Reverend John Storer, Wild White Cattle of Great Britain (n. d.), p. t,},. 




Fig. 151. Dutch tarmhouse with stable on the right. 
Photographed near Leeuwarden by the author 



THE HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN 



357 



the cattle of the provinces of North and South Holland, according 
to Hobson,^ were mostly red and white and very well known in 
England as the Dutch breed. In the other provinces of the 
Netherlands '" the cattle were the short horned Dutch breed, 
the color being generally black or black and white." 

The present-day breeds of cattle in Holland are very few. The 
all-predominating one is that of Friesland and North and South 




Fig. 152. The interior of a Dutch cow stable in summer. Around the stalls on 

the left are placed blue dishes. The walls are painted in bright colors. During 

the season when the cattle are on pasture this is used as a family dining room. 

From photograph by the author 

Holland, black and white in color, such as we are so familiar 
with in America. In the province of Groningen is a breed beefy 
in type, black of body, but with more or less white head, legs, 
and tail, suggesting an Aberdeen- Angus-Hereford cross. One 
sees red-and- white cattle in Holland that, excepting for color, 
are identical with the common black-and-white sort. However, 
in eastern Holland there are red-and-white cattle, rather beefy 
in character and forming a group by themselves. 
1 British Holstein Herdbook, Vol. I. 



358 CATTLE 

The origin of the name " Holstein-Friesian " becomes pertinent 
at this point. A quarter of a century ago cattle were brought to 
this country under the names of " Holstein " and " Dutch Friesian," 
being sold as different breeds and championed by different 
breeding associations. The name " Holstein " has no application 
in Holland, but refers to a small province in Germany between 
the Baltic and North Seas, about a hundred miles east of the 
Holland boundary, where black-and-white Dutch cattle are 
found. The word " Friesian " is derived from the province of 
Friesland, and the breed in America might with propriety be 
called by that name alone, for no such breed name as " Holstein- 
Friesian " exists in Holland. Inasmuch as all the cattle imported 
to America from Holland were essentially the same, the breeders 
and importers, representing two distinct Dutch cattle associations 
in this country, met in joint session in 1885 and united their 
interests and agreed to call the breed Holstein-Friesian. It is 
interesting to note that while the use of the word " Holstein " is 
illogical, in 1909 the British Holstein Cattle Society organized 
but later adopted the name " Friesian " in place of " Holstein," to 
conform to Dutch usage. The word "' Holstein," now so universally 
used in America, is as much a misfit as " Holstein-Friesian." "The 
Netherland Rundvee Stambock of Holland," says the London Live 
Stock Journal (February 28, 1919), "has requested the Holstein- 
Friesian Association of America to drop the word 'Holstein' from 
its hyphenated compromise name. The Yankee body has refused 
the request. We are more up to date on this side apparently." 

The introduction of Holstein-Friesian cattle to America is 
associated with the early Dutch settlement of New York. Mr. \V. 
W. Chenery of Belmont, Massachusetts, states ^ that the Holstein 
or Dutch cattle were introduced into this country about 1625 by the 
West India Company, and subsequently other importations were 
made by the early Dutch settlers in New York State. Late in the 
seventeenth century, when the Mohawk valley of that state was 
settled by the Dutch, they probably brought cattle with them 
from Holland. In 1795 the Holland Land Company sent two 
bulls and six cows to John Linklaen of Cazenovia, New York, 
who was an agent in charge of lands of the company there. As 

1 A Private Holstein or Dutch Herd Book, 3d ed. (1869), p. 5. 



THE HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN 359 

described by one of the early settlers of that village, " the cows 
were of the size of oxen, their colors clear black and white in 
large patches ; very handsome bodies and straight limbed ; 
horns middling in size but gracefully set ; their necks were 
seemingly too slender to carry their heads." In 18 10 a bull and 
two cows were imported by Consul William Jarvis and taken to 
his farm at Weathersfield, Vermont. Between the years 1820 and 
1825 Herman LeRoy, a New York City merchant, imported some 




Fig. 153. The Kuperus herd near Leeuwarden, Holland. One of the famous Dutch 
1- herds. From photograph by the author 

cattle from Holland, which he placed on a farm near New York 
City, and later, between 1827 and 1829, some of them were sent 
to the farm of his son, Edward A. Le Roy, in the Genesee valley in 
New York. Lewis F. Allen states ^ that he saw these cattle in 1833, 
and that " they were large, well-spread cattle, black and white in 
color, and remarkable for their uncommon yield of milk," These 
LeRoy cattle were later crossed with Shorthorns, and the pure 
breed thus lost. The first importation of importance, having the 
maintenance of pure blood lines in mind, was that of Mr, Chenery, 
who reports as follows on his introduction of these cattle^ : 

1 American Cattle (1879), P- 168. 

* A Private Holstein or Dutch Herd Book, 3d ed., 1869. 



36o 



CATTLE 



The first of these importations was made in 1852, and consisted of a single 
cow. The extraordinary good qualities possessed by that cow led in 1857 to 
a further importation of a bull and two cows, and in 1859 to four more cows. 
In consequence of a disease which occurred in 1 859-1 860, these cattle and all 
their full blood descendants, with the single exception of a young bull, were de- 
stroyed under a law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and in the autumn 
of 1 861 another importation of a bull and four cows was made from North Hol- 
land. These animals, with their progeny, comprise the stock of cattle known 
in this country as the " Chenery importation of Holstein or Dutch Cattle." 

Mr. Chenery states that the original animals were procured from 
among the best breeders of the Beemster and Purmerend, in the 




Fig. 154. A scene in the cattle market at Leeuwarden, Holland. From photograph 

by the author 

province of North Holland. The next importation of cattle from 
Holland was that of Gerrit S. Miller of Peterboro, New York, 
in 1869, of a bull and three cows, purchased by his brother 
Dudley, at Weener, East Friesland. This importation was most 
important, for the three cows, Crown Princess 6, Dowager 7, and 
Fraulein 9, proved to be unusually fine individuals and producers 
and had a marked influence in establishing the breed in America. 
P'ollowing the Miller importation, in the early seventies impor- 
tation from Holland became active, and large numbers of cattle 
were brought to America. Prominent among the importers late 
in the nineteenth century were Smith and Powell, T. G. Yeomans, 



THE HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN 361 

Henry Stevens, and Solomon Hoxie, all of central New York, 
and Edgar Huidekoper of Pennsylvania. Among the great cows 
imported in these early days were Netherland Queen 414 H. 
H. B, and Johanna 344 H. H. B., imported in 1878 ; and Mercedes 
723 H. H. B., Empress 539 H. H. B., Ondine 828 H. H. B., and 
Aaggie 901 H. H. B., imported in 1879. For many years there 
has been no importation from Holland, due to the existence of 
continuous foot-and-mouth disease over much of the continent 
of Europe, the United States having placed an embargo against 
European cattle outside of Great Britain. 

The characteristics of the Holstein-Friesian are distinct and 
peculiar to this breed. In general conformation there is consider- 
able variation, ranging from animals of a marked beef type to the 
extreme dairy type. This variation is recognized by the best author- 
ities on the breed and has been officially described as follows^ : 

There are three definite types, described as the milk and beef form, the 
milk form, and the beef and milk form. The average form of the breed, and 
that which conscientious breeders are directing their efforts to maintain and 
improve, is the milk and beef form. Mr. S. Hoxie thus admirably refers to 
the milk and beef type of the breed : " It is especially strong in all vital 
particulars. The bones are fine compared w^ith size, and the chine broad and 
strong compared with the high and sharp chine of the extreme milk form. 
The loin and hips are broad and smooth, and the rump high and level 
compared with the angularity usually shown in the milk form. The twist is 
roomy and the thighs and hocks well apart. Passing forward the shoulders 
are smoother and more compact than in the milk form, but of lighter weight 
than in the beef form. The brisket is not so wide and low as in the beef form, 
and the chest is not so deep, but the width of the beef form through at the 
heart is closely retained. In the milk form the abdomen is usually swung low, 
and the ribs are steep, but in the milk and beef form the ribs are wider sprung 
and the abdomen more trimly held up though no less capacious. The general 
appearance of the bull is strongly masculine, but that of the cow is no less 
feminine than in the milk form. 

In the American show ring the best-qualified judges discriminate 
against the beef-and-milk type and seek for more smoothness 
and finish than is found in the extreme milk type. Holstein- 
Friesian breeders have been so influenced by pedigrees that 
many bulls have been used in service that from the standpoint 

1 F. L. Houghton. T:i;c Type of the Ilolstein. Undated leaflet. 



362 CATTLE 

of type were anything but attractive ; in fact, a ring of a dozen 
aged bulls of the breed will no doubt show more variation in 
form than will an equal number of males of any other breed. 
In general appearance animals of the breed are large, often have 
great udders and milk veins, are black and white in color, and 
show remarkable milk-producing capacity. The Jiead is usually 
lean, tends to be somewhat long, with straight nose and dark 
mottled or flesh-colored muzzle, is wide between the eyes, and 
carries a white horn usually black tipped. The Jioms should be 
short, gradually taper, and curve out forward and inward and 
slightly upward. A coarse horn is not common. The neck of 
the male is usually rather large, with a distinct arch, while that 
of the female is moderately slender. The sJioulder is frequently 
heavy and prominent, with ivitJicrs of moderate thickness, being 
neither fine nor thick. The body is large with long, well-sprung 
ribs, showing great feeding capacity. The Jiips are often prom- 
inent, the rump long and often more or less steep. The thighs 
incline to be somewhat thick, with more quarter than obtains 
with other dairy breeds.. The udder is frequently very large, 
and with maturity shows a pendant form after the shape of a 
letter U, with the teats placed at the corners. With this form 
the fore udder lacks extension. The discriminating breeder is 
seeking more and more to produce an udder with ideal front 
development that holds up close to the belly and is not unduly 
pendant. The milk veins average large, but are not longer 
or more tortuous than in other breeds. In quality the Holstein- 
Friesian is too frequently deficient, as shown in coarse hair, 
large joints, and thick skin lacking in mellowness. 

The color of the Holstein-Friesian is almost universally black 
and white in patches, varying in degree, however, some animals 
being mostly white and others largely black. At the present 
time a preponderance of white is most popular, and occasionally 
one will see animals entirely white excepting for very slight 
black spots. White by many is considered an evidence of quality. 
DeKol 2d, imported in 1885, noted as one of the early great 
butter-fat producing dams of the breed, was largely white, and 
through her sons, and especially Hengerveld DeKol, white has 
undoubtedly become more of a feature than formerly. Red and 



THE HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN 



363 



white, as previously referred to, occurs in Dutch herds, and from 
time to time calves of this color marking are dropped in herds 
of black-and-white cattle in America, this being probably a form 
of reversion. The subject of color markings has also received 
formal action by the Holstein-Friesian Association of America, 
the executive committee in May, 19 10, adopting the following 
report, which thereby became a rule of the association relative to 
colors barring animals from registration, "(i) Solid black. (2) 
Solid white. (3) Black switch. (4) Solid black with white on 
belly only. (5) Black 
on legs, beginning at 
feet and extending to 
knees and hocks. (6) 
Black on legs, begin- 
ning at feet and ex- 
tending to knees, with 
white interspersed. 
(7) Gray, or mixed 
black and white pre- 
vailing. (8) Patches 
of other colors than 
black and white — 
red, brown, dun, etc. 
(9) Red and white." 

The size of the 
Holstein-Friesian puts 

it among the largest breeds of cattle. At birth calves usually weigh 
from 90 to 100 pounds, sometimes reaching the extreme weight of 
125 pounds. The Advanced Registry standard of the breed speci- 
fies weights of at least 1800 pounds for the bulls and 1000 pounds 
for the cows, at maturity. B. W. Potter, following an investiga- 
tion of weights of 60 large record cows tested between 1894 and 
1906, reports on only 13 weighing more than 1500 pounds each 
and only 27 surpassing the 1400-pound mark. Only 9 weighed 
less than 1200 pounds, and the average weight of the 60 was 
1383 pounds. Of the 25 bulls not one weighed less than 1800 
pounds and only 5 less than 2000 pounds, while only 3 weighed 
over 2400 pounds. The average weight of the bulls was 2164 




Fig. 155. Hengerveld DeKol 23102, a Holstein- 
Friesian bull that sired many sons and daughters 
of great merit. Owned by A. A. Cortelyou of 
New Jersey. Frojn photograph, by courtesy of the 
American Agriculturist 



364 



CATTLE 



pounds. Mature bulls are often very heavy. Kate Spray's Paul 
DeKol, when owned by the Ohio State University, attained a 
weight of 2600 pounds and never was fat. The bull Constantyn 
2040 H. H. B., when six years old, weighed 2715 pounds. Nether- 
land Prince 716 H. H. B,, the most famous bull imported twenty- 
five years ago, at eight years weighed 2050 pounds. Parthenia 2d's 
Sir Henry 12366, one of the great show bulls of his day, weighed 
2500. A reasonable and moderate weight for the aged bull ranges 

from 1900 to 2000 
pounds. Like the 
males, the females of 
the breed sometimes 
attain great size. The 
cow Rosa Bonheur 5 th 
1 1 2 2 7 weighed as high 
as 1850 pounds while 
owned by the Michigan 
Agricultural College, 
while Belle Sarcastic 
23039, owned by the 
same college, weighed 
1900 pounds when fat. 
These cows, however, 
are extreme cases. 
Among noted cows of 
the breed at maturity, Pietertje 2d 3273 H. H. B, weighed 1365 
pounds; DeKol 2d 734 H. H. B., 1240; Pauline Paul 2199 
H. H. B., 1450; Aaggie 901 H. H. B., 1375; Pxho 121 H. 
H. B,, 1920; Princess of Wayne 954 H. H. B., 1370; Segis 
Fayne Johanna 1 14648, 1450 pounds normally, 1900 fat; Fin- 
derne Hollingen Fayne 14455 1, 1450; College Belle Wayne, 
1980; and Ormsby Jane Segis Aaggie 150943, 1500 pounds. 
For mature cows a weight of 1250 to 1400 is acceptable, some 
families tending to weigh heavier than others. 

Measurements of Holstein-Friesian cows have been taken to 
some extent, especially in connection with Advanced Registry rec- 
ords. While no pertinent conclusions have thus far been drawn 
from measurements of this kind, the figures secured indicate 




Fig. 156. Mercedes Julip's Pietertje's Paul 29S30, 
a Holstein-Friesian bull in two-year form and of 
excellent type. Owned by H. L. Bronson, Cort- 
land, New York. From photograph, by courtesy of 
A m erica n A i;ricH It it r/s t 



THE HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN 365 

something of the body proportions. The average measurements 
of cows in Volume IV of the Advanced Registry are as follows : 

Height, perpendicular, at shoulders 5 1.8 in. 

Height, perpendicular, at hips 53.0 in. 

Length of body, extreme point shoulder to point rump 64.9 in. 
Length of rump, front hips to extreme point rump . 21.4 in. 

Width of hips 21.9 in. 

Girth of heart at smallest chest circumference . . 75.6 in. 

The maturing qualities of the Holstein-Friesian are not so pro- 
nounced as with some other breeds. Young males very commonly 
are slow in developing sex character, the crest and burly head 
not appearing much prior to six months or more of age. The 
heifers also are slow in showing the maternal characteristics. 
However, with maturity sex character becomes amply manifest. 

The adaptability of the Holstein-Friesian to environment is 
admirable. It seems at home in both north and south, tem- 
perature not being an important factor. However, being a gross 
feeder, the mature individual of this breed should be provided 
with ample pasture or other food in summer. Also, being in the 
large, heavy class, the Holstein-Friesian is best suited to fertile 
lowlands, rather than to a rough and hilly country where food is 
more or less scarce and laborious effort is required in grazing. 

The prolificacy of the Holstein-Friesian is probably compa- 
rable with most breeds of cattle, but is not especially marked. 
Many cows of the breed have lived to a ripe old age and have 
been persistent producers, leaving large families. But little pub- 
licity, however, has been given to this feature, and one finds 
practically no reference to the subject in the literature relative 
to the breed. 

The disposition of the Holstein-Friesian is naturally quiet and 
peaceable. In their native home in Holland the cattle are brought 
in close touch with the people, in most cases occupying stables 
under the same roof with the family dwelling, and are constantly 
handled in an individual way. All of the conditions promote 
domesticity and quiet disposition. The bulls, in common with 
those of other dairy breeds, are often nervous and belligerent 
and require careful handling. The cows, however, are naturally 
very quiet and easily handled. 



366 CATTLE 

The prepotency of the Holstein-Friesian is quite marked. The 

distinctive color markings, head characteristics, and type of udder 
are strongly reproduced in the pure-bred herd. Males of pure 
ancestry, used in grade herds, in due season give it the essen- 
tial features of the pure-bred herd. There are many thousands 
of superior grade Holstein-Friesian cows in America, largely the 




Fig. 157. Carnation King Sylvia 231405, a Holstein-Friesian bull calf, by King 

Echo Sylvia Johanna 203504, out of May Echo Sylvia 223725. Bred by A. C. Hardy 

of Canada. Sold at auction in 1918 for ^106,000 to Carnation Stock Farms of 

Wisconsin and Washington. From photograph, by courtesy of the owners 

result of the use of pure-bred sires. In 19 18 the author saw 
grade Holstein-Friesian cows in public sale that were of such 
marked excellence as to change hands for over $250 per head. 

The grade or crossbred Holstein-Friesian may be an improve- 
ment over the dam if a pure-bred bull be used. The wisdom of 
this breeding, however, depends on the purpose. If for milk 
production, by means of pure-bred bulls a high-grade, very prof- 
itable herd may be produced. In the vicinity of large cities are 
to be found herds of high grades that produce large yields of 



THE HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN 367 

milk for the retail trade. By selecting sires coming from families 
yielding milk superior in quality as well as quantity, more favor- 
able results may be expected than if no care in selection is 
practiced. Owing to their size, the bulls should not be mated to 
animals of smaller breed type. 

Holstein-Friesian oxen are in favor in some localities where 
cattle are employed in draft work. Mr. James D. Avery of Mas- 
sachusetts, who has long used them, testifies highly to the worth 
of the breed for this purpose. A pure-bred ox of his, named 
Jerry, at nine years old weighed 4365 pounds, stood 17I hands 
high, was 10 feet 3 inches in girth and 15 feet 11 inches long. 

Advanced Registry Official testing of Holstein-Friesians was 
established in 1898 for the purpose of placing the tests of milk 
and butter-fat production on an impartial basis. The system pro- 
vides for supervision of the testing by representatives of either 
the state agricultural college or the state experiment station, 
owners of the cows pa)'ing for the testing. Two classes of tests 
are made, — official, where a special tester supervises all milkings 
and tests for butter fat ; and semiofficial yearly records, where the 
milk for at least two consecutive days each month is weighed and 
tested for fat by the inspector, the daily milk records being 
kept by the owner of the cow. The Holstein-Friesian Association 
has especially emphasized short-period testing, notably seven and 
thirty days. These short-time tests are not fair, for the reason 
that many men specializing in such testing dry off their cows 
prior to the test, make them as fat as possible, and thus get an 
abnormal fat test through milking off the fat from the body. Cows 
in high flesh yield a milk much richer in fat than is the case 
under ordinary conditions. Yearly semiofficial tests meet with 
favor and more nearly show the capacity of the cow. In Advanced 
Registry Official (A. R. O.) testing cows of this breed, being heavy 
yielders, are usually milked three or four times a day. In Holland 
milking three times daily is a common custom. During the year 
191 7 there were 9388 cows and heifers tested for seven days or 
more. Up to 19 19 nearly 68,000 animals had been admitted to 
the Advanced Registry. 

The requirements for entry in the Holstein-Friesian Advanced 
Registry are as follows : If the cow calves at two years of age or 



368 



CATTLE 



under, to qualify she must produce 7.2 pounds of fat in seven 
consecutive days. Calving at three years, the cow must produce 
8,8 pounds of fat in seven days. Calving at four years, the cow must 
produce 10.4 pounds of fat in seven days. Calving at five years 
or over, the cow must produce 12.0 pounds of fat in seven days. 
If the cow calves -at a period between either of these ages, every 
day of increased age adds to the requirements of the year .00439 
of a pound of fat. Only bulls having four or more A. R. O. 




Fig. 158. Cattle dealers in the market at Purmerend, Holland. Dutch cattle are 

blanketed in the spring when first put on pasture, after the style shown in the 

picture. From photograph by the author 

daughters are eligible for entry in the Advanced Registry. An 
A. R. O. daughter is one that has been entered in the Advanced 
Registry on an official record. 

The Holstein-Friesian cow as a producer of milk, so far as 
quantity is concerned, leads all breeds and occupies a class by 
herself. Wonderful reports have been published since 1885, when 
private tests received much attention. At that time Clothilde 1 308 
H. H. B. was credited with a year's milk record of 26,021 pounds 
2 ounces. Following that record, Pietertje 2d 3273 II. H. B. 
made a private test of 30,318 pounds 8 ounces of milk, a record 
that stood unbeaten for many years. Semiofficial testing has pro- 
duced many remarkable yearly records, of which the following are 
most conspicuous up to June, 1919. 



THE HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN 369 

Semiofficial Yearly Holstein-Friesian Milk Records 



Name and Number 

Tilly Alcartra 123459 

Lutscke Vale Cornucopia 1 10505 

Winnie Korndyke Cornucopia DeKol 101441) 
Raphaella Johanna Aaggie 3d 185125 . 
Zarilda Clothilde 3d DeKol 133840 .... 

Jemima Johanna of Riverside 

Queen Piebe Mercedes 1 54610 

Lindale Bonnie Pauline 17752 1 

Royalton DeKol Violet 86460 

Creamelle Vale 73357 



Age Year tested 



Milk Record 



1918-1919 
1915-1916 
1916-1917 
1918-1919 
1918-1919 
1918-1919 
1915-1916 
1917-191S 
1916-I917 
1911-1912 



33,424.8 

3i'243-4 
31,034.2 
30,637.0 
30,427.0 

30'373-o 
30,230.2 
30,024.1 
29,949.6 
29,591.4 



In 19 1 7 the Advanced Registry records of the Holstein-Friesian 
Association showed that 3550 cows and heifers had produced an 
average yield of 14,622.7 pounds of milk each in semiofficial tests. 
Some remarkable yields are recorded, additional to the above. 
Years ago the cow Shadeland Boon 2d 8892 H.H.B. was credited 
with a private record of I22| pounds of milk in one day. As late 
as 19 14 fifty-three cows of the breed were credited with producing 
each above 700 pounds of milk in seven days. The following are 
some of the more notable large daily records since official testing 
began : Riverside Sadie DeKol Burke 70708, a California cow, 
in seven days produced an average of 128.87 pounds per day; 
during thirty days she averaged 123.5 pounds. Lutscke Vale 
Cornucopia 1 10505, another California cow, in six months pro- 
duced 18,275 pounds of milk, or a daily average of over 100 
pounds. College Belle Wayne 98497, owned by the South Dakota 
State College, produced 126.7 pounds in one day. DeKol Queen 
La Polka 2d 72325, a New York cow, produced 124 pounds in a 
day, while May Echo Sylvia 223725 produced 152.1 pounds in 
one day and 12,898 pounds in one hundred days. Tilly Alcartra 
123459 is the world's champion cow for total production of six 
years, during which time she produced 156,776 pounds milk. 
Many cows of the breed have produced from 75 to 90 pounds 
in a day, and a fair Holstein-Friesian cow should easily produce 
from 7000 to 9000 pounds in a year. According to official reports 
up to 19 1 9, 148 cows of the breed have records of over 24,000 
pounds milk a year each. 



370 



CATTLE 



The Holstein-Friesian as a butter-fat producer takes high rank 
on account of the large yield of milk, which usually tests from 
3 to 4 per cent butter fat. Some families tend to produce milk 
poor in fat, while others show a greater amount. Breeders are 
persistently putting a premium on cows testing high in fat, and 




Fig. 159. Duchess Skylark Ormsby 1 24514, by Sir Ormsby Skylark, a Holstein- 
Friesian cow owned by J. B. Irwin, Minneapolis, Minnesota, in whose possession 
she made the remarkable world's record of 1205 pounds butter fat in one year. 
From photograph, by courtesy of Mr. Irwin 



the breed is gradually reaching higher levels as a result. The 
fat globules in this milk are of the smaller class and do not cream 
by gravity as rapidly as do Jersey or Guernsey milk. In total 
butter-fat or butter production, however, very large records have 
been made. Reference has already been made to the seven-day 
tests. In 191 7 M. H. Gardner, superintendent of Advanced 



THE HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN 



371 



Registry, gave some very interesting information ^ relative to 
production, and more especially concerning butter-fat records. 

To May i, 191 7, the Holstein-Friesian Association has entered 3750 bulls 
and 52,500 cows in its Advanced Registry. . . . Last winter the cow Segis 
Fayne Johanna produced in seven days 730.8 pounds milk and 40.546 pounds 
fat, and the breed can show 22 cows with seven day production above 32 
pounds fat. Half of the cows tested are heifers with first or second calves, 
yet the seven day average for all ages shows 408 pounds milk containing 
14.4 pounds fat. The average per cent of fat shown is 3.53. The long time 
test was added to the system about seven years ago, and Duchess Skylark 
Ormsby has shown 1205 pounds of fat from 27,761.7 pounds of milk in one 
year. . . . The breed can show sixteen cows with production of more than 
1000 pounds of fat in 365 days. There are 72 cows so far entered producing 
more than 850 pounds of fat. 

In March, 1919, the Canadian cow Rola Mercena DeKol 30313 
beat Segis Fayne Johanna's record by producing 41.54 pounds 
of fat in seven days and 160.27 pounds in thirty days. Up to 
May 16, 19 1 8, there were thirty-five 40-pound cows reported. 
Following are the leading butter-fat record cows of the breed for 
three hundred and sixty-five days in semiofficial tests. 

Leading Semiofficial Yearly Holstein-Friesian Butter-Fat 

Records 



Name and Number Cow 


A(;e 


Year tested 




Record 


Duchess Skylark Ormsby 1245 14 . . . 


5 


1914-1915 


1205.09 lb. 


Finderne Pride Johanna Rue 1210S3 . . 


5 


1914-1915 


1 176.47 lb. 


Finderne Ilollingen Fayne 14455 1 . . 


3 


1916-1917 


1 1 16.05 ^b. 


Queen Piebe Mercedes i 54610 .... 


4 


1915-1916 


II 1 1.56 lb. 


Emeretta Korndyke DeKol 189227 


5 


1918-1919 


1077.55 lb. 


Ona Button DeKol 1 15939 


6 


1915-1916 


1076.44 lb. 


Maple Crest Pontiac Application 141 1 58 


6 


1915-1916 


1075.441b. 


Champion Dora Korndyke 134002 . . 


8 


1918-1919 


1052.75 lb. 



It is interesting to note that in 1890 Pauline Paul 2199 H. H.B. 
was credited with a yearly record in private test of 1 1 5 3 pounds 
1 5 1 ounces of salted butter, and for eighteen years no official 
record equaled it by a dairy cow of any breed. Yet in 1911-1912 

"^Breeders' Gazette, July 19, 1917. 



372 



CATTLE 



Banostine Belle DeKol 90441 produced 1058.34 pounds fat, or 
an estimated record of 1322.9 pounds of butter. In May, 1919, 
Mr. Gardner, superintendent of Advanced Registry tests of the 
Holstein-Friesian Association of America, stated in Hoard's 
DairyniiDi that twenty-six cows of the breed up to March had 
records of producing over 1000 pounds of fat each within a year. 
Holstein-Friesian milk for cheese is very extensively used in 
Holland, where large quantities of Edam, Gouda, and other 
cheeses are made and shipped all over the world. This milk 

contains a large per- 
centage of solids not 
fat and so makes a 
very nutritious cheese, 
though its food value 
would be increased by 
a greater percentage 
of fat in the milk. 

Holstein-Friesians 
as beef producers do 
not rank well in Amer- 
ica, any more than do 
the other dairy breeds. 
There is too much 
waste in killing, with 
too much bone and 
intestinal fat. Young 
Holsteins, however, make excellent veal, and the author has 
rarely eaten veal in America equal to that commonly served in 
hotels in Holland. In valuations placed on Holstein beef fed at 
the Iowa State College, experts rated it eighth among nine breeds, 
the Jersey coming last. Holstein-Friesians will gain in weight but 
will not produce the desired quality of beef to suit the buyers. 

Holstein-Friesian families of prominence. The leading families 
of the breed, as known to-day, trace back to cows of notable merit, 
both as producers of milk and of offspring. There has been much 
mixing or crossing of family lines, and one finds comparatively 
little breeding that has been kept within a family. Branch or sub- 
families also occur within the main family, some breeders especially 




Fig. 160. Banostine Belle DeKol 90441, a Holstein- 
Friesian cow owned by Dimmick Brothers of 
Ohio that made a world's record in 1911-1912 of 
1058.34 pounds butter fat in three hundred and 
sixty-five days. From photograph, by courtesy of 
Dimmick Brothers 



THE HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN 373 

exploiting these as families of their own production, which is 
more or less true. The following families are of special note : 

The Aaggie family is descended from Aaggie 901 H. H. B., 
imported in 1879 ^Y Smith and Powell of Syracuse, New York, and 
sired by Rooker, one of the noted bulls in Holland. Aaggie 
was credited with producing 89 1 pounds of milk in a day and 
18,005 pounds in a year. Her daughter Aaggie 2d, by Jacob 2d, 
made a yearly record of 20,763 pounds of milk. In 1888 Smith 
and Powell stated in their catalogue that " the records made by 
Aaggie cows have done more to give the Holstein-Friesian breed 
its present reputation than those of any other family." Eighteen 
cows of the family were then credited with an average for one 
year of 16,059 pounds of milk, and 19 Aaggie cows in the Smith 
and Powell herd averaged 18 pounds 2^ ounces butter in seven 
days. The noted Ormsby Jane Segis Aaggie 150943, the first 
44-pound A. R. O. heifer (whose son King Ormsby Jane Rag 
Apple sold for $53,200), traces through her line of female descent 
to old Aaggie. So also does Sir Veeman Hengerveld 36158, a 
grandson of Paul DeKol 14634 (with 84 A. R. O. daughters), trace 
to Aaggie on the sire's side. Aaggie Cornucopia Pauline 48426, 
the first 34-pound cow, was seven generations descended from 
Aaggie. This family is not so popular as it was some years ago, 
yet many noted animals of to-day trace back to old Aaggie. 

The Clothilde family traces to Clothilde 1308 H. H. B., 
imported as a yearling in 1880 by Smith and Powell. In 1887 
Clothilde won the sweepstakes prize as the best butter cow of any 
breed at the New York Dairy and Cattle Show. At six years of 
age she had a record of 88 1 pounds of milk in a day and 26,021 
pounds 2 ounces in a year. Clothilde had eight daughters and 
no sons. Her daughter Clothilde 2d 145 1 is credited with 30^ 
pounds butter in seven days and 23,600 pounds milk in a year. 
Pontiac Clothilde DeKol 2d 69991, with an A. R. O. record 
of 1271.60 pounds 80 per cent butter in a year, combines the 
blood of the DeKol and Clothilde families. In recent years no 
very great attention has been centered on this family, although it 
is regarded with favor. 

The DeKol family is descended from DeKol 2d 734 H. H. B., 
calved in 1884 and imported from Holland in 1885 by Lord 



374 



CATTLE 



and Son of New York. DeKol 2d was sired by William 3d 19O 
N. H. B. and had for dam DeKol 6245 H. H. B. DeKol 2d 
became famous first in the herd of J. B. Dutcher and then in 
that of Henry Stevens and Son, who bought her a ten-year-old 
cow from the former. Between 1886 and 1900 she produced 
1 2 calves — 8 bulls and 4 heifers. Without doubt no other cow 
of the breed ever produced so distinguished a family, and her 
sons and grandsons have contributed in a remarkable way to the 

production of high- 
testing progeny. In 
fact DeKol 2d was 
the principal medium 
through which impor- 
tant improvement in 
the butter-fat content 
of Holstein-F"riesian 
milk was secured. De- 
Kol 2d's Paul DeKol 
20735, DeKol 2d's 
Butter Boy 2 1 366, 
DeKol 2d's Butter 
Boy 2d 22989, and 
DeKol 2d's Butter 
Boy 3d 23260 stand 
out as four of the great 
bulls of the breed. 
These sons are not far removed from present-day animals of 
note. Hengerveld DeKol 23102, sire of 116 A. R. O. daughters 
and 53 A. R. O. sons, is a son of DeKol 2d's Butter Boy. Sir 
Veeman Hengerveld 36158, with 84 A. R. O. daughters, is a 
great grandson of DeKol 2d's Prince 2767, a son of DeKol 2d. 
Paul Beet's DeKol 22235, sire of 105 A. R. O. daughters, was a 
grandson of DeKol 2d. DeKol Burke 22991, sire of 66 A. R. O. 
daughters, was a son of DeKol 2d's Butter Boy. In 191 8 DeKol 
2d's Butter Boy 3d was sire of 118 A. R. O. daughters and 
95 A. R. O. sons, among which were many of the great cows of 
the breed. The DeKols are a large, rugged type of cattle, and 
their blood has been widely used with other families. 




Fig. 161. Pontiac Clothilde DeKol 2d 69991, a 
Holstein-Friesian cow that in the ownership of 
Stevens Brothers and Company of New York made 
a world's record of 1017 pounds fat in a year. From 
photograph by the author 



THE HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN 375 

The Johanna family has its foundation in the cow Johanna 
344 H. H. B. She was brought to America from Holland by 
Gerrit S. Miller of New York. At ten years of age she produced 
88 pounds of milk in a day and 2407 1 pounds in a month. She 
was purchased by Gillettand Son of Wisconsin in her ten-year form. 
Through her daughters Johanna 4th 2129 and Johanna 5th 9343 
this family made a strong producing record. The blood of the 
Johanna family in Mr, Gillett's herd mingled to great advantage 
with the Colantha family; and Colantha 4th's Johanna 48577, 
long the world's-record cow in yearly butter-fat production 
(998.26 pounds), was of the Johanna family on the sire's side and 
a granddaughter of Colantha 6714 H. H. B. on the dam's side. 
Colantha Johanna Lad 32481, with 106 A. R. O. daughters, is 
a son of Colantha 4th's Johanna. Sir Johanna DeKol 25467, 
with 35 A. R. O. daughters (including Johanna DeKol Van 
Beers 75 131, with a 40.1 pounds A. R. O. record), is by 
Sir Johanna 23446, sire of Colantha 4th's Johanna. 

The Korndyke family descends from Belle Korndyke 139 13, 
calved in 1888 and bred by S. H. Blanchard of New York. 
When eleven years old she made an A. R. O. record of 25.77 
pounds of butter in seven days. She and her daughter Korndyke 
Queen 40580 were purchased by Henry Stevens and Son of 
New York, in whose hands this family became famous. Between 
1890 and 1906 Belle Korndyke dropped eleven calves, six of 
which were sons. From these sons and daughters came a large 
number of A. R. O. sons and daughters. Her daughter Belle 
DeKol 1 391 3 is the dam of Pontiac Korndyke 25982, sire of 139 
A. R. O. daughters, and also of King of the Pontiacs 39037, with 
204 A. R. O. daughters to his credit and 113 A. R. O. sons, the 
premier sire of the breed. In 1908 Stevens Brothers-Hastings 
Company wrote ^ of Pontiac Korndyke : " The cross formed by mat- 
ing this bull with the daughters of Hengerveld DeKol seems to 
be an especially fortunate one, and is producing some of the 
best record heifers ever officially tested." Pontiac Korndyke is 
sire of Pontiac Clothilde DeKol 2d 69991, with a year's record 
of 1 271.6 pounds butter, and of Pontiac Rag Apple 56980, with a 
record of 31.62 pounds butter in seven days, noted also as selling 

^ Historical booklet on Brookside Herd. 



376 CATTLE 

for $8000. Rag Apple Korndyke 8th 73416, that sold for 
$25,000 at public sale, is a grandson of Pontiac Korndyke on 
both sides. At the present day the Korndyke family is at the 
top wave of popularity, largely due to the remarkable prepotency 
of Pontiac Korndyke and his son King of the Pontiacs. The 
name " Pontiac " is derived from the town of Pontiac, Michigan, 
where for many years a large herd of superior Holstein-P>iesian 
cattle has been kept at the Eastern Michigan Insane Asylum, 
Pontiac Korndyke being a product of that herd. 

The Netherland family was introduced to America by Smith 
and Powell, who regard the foundation as tracing back to Hol- 
land, to the bull Schreuder, the cow Netherland Dowager 2632 
H. H. B. (which they imported), and Gert Met. Netherland 
Dowager had a milk record of i7,i6o| pounds of milk in a year. 
She was dam of Schemmel, sire of Netherland Prince 716 
H. H. B., calved in 1880 and imported that year. His dam 
Lady Netherland 1263 H. H. I]., a great show and producing 
cow, is really the foundation of this family. Netherland Prince 
was an animal of uncommon beauty and one of the great sires 
of the breed in his time. The Lakeside Model family is an 
offshoot of the Netherland established by E. A. Powell of New 
York, long a distinguished breeder and former part owner of 
Netherland Prince. This branch possesses great uniformity and 
much excellence. In discussing the establishment of this family 
Mr. Powell pays the following tribute to Netherland Prince ^ : 

Not only did he establish a finer, more uniform, breedy class, with better 
shaped udders and top lines, but a class of larger uniform production, as figures 
of the Blue Book will show, viz., that of the first 99 cows of the breed to make 
30 pounds or more butter in a week, 96 — all but three — trace their pedigrees 
to Netherland Prince, and of the 29 cows given in the last Blue Book, 
which have made 35 pounds or more, all but one trace to him, including all 
above 40 pounds. 

The Netherland and DeKol families have combined to produce 
many noted animals. 

The Pietertje family descends from Pietertje 2d 3273 H. H. B., 
calved in 1877 and imported in 1882 by Alonzo Bradley of 
Massachusetts. Pietertje 2d was a remarkable cow and had a 

1 From a pamphlet descriptive of this family, published about 1916. 



THE HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN 



377 



record of 112 pounds 7 ounces of milk in a day, with an un- 
official record of 30,3 18| pounds of milk in a year. Pietertje 
2d was the dam of Pietertje 3d 11 244 and Pietertje 4th 11245, 
and, like their dam, great milkers. The Pietertje family, not- 
withstanding its heavy milking inheritance, did not attain the 
most widespread popularity, due perhaps to some extent to the 




Fig. 162. Spring Brook Bess Burke 9S734, one of the great IIolstein-Friesian 
dams. She has a record of 25,227 pounds milk and 1094.16 pounds of 80 per cent 
butter and has three daughters with records of above 33 pounds of So per cent 
estimated butter in seven days and 1000 pounds in one year. From photograph, 
by courtesy of the owners, the E. C. Schroeder Farms, Moorhead, Minnesota 

low per cent of fat in the milk, although Pietertje blood 
blended well with the DeKols and others rich in fat production. 
The Pauline Paul family descends from Pauline Paul 2199 
H. H. B., calved in 1882 and owned by J. B. Dutcher & Son 
of New York. This cow was sired by Climax 204 H. H. B., and 
her dam was Johanna Paul 6^7 H. H. B., credited with 70 pounds 
of milk in one day. For years Pauline Paul was the wonder cow 
of the world because in three hundred and sixty-five days she 
made the unofficial record of 18,699 pounds of milk, from which 
was churned 11 53 pounds 15^^ ounces of butter. Pauline Paul 
secured her greatest fame through a son, Paul DeKol 14634, 



378 CATTLE 

sired by DeKol 2d's Prince 2767, a son of DeKol 2d. Paul 
DeKol sired 24 A. R. O. sons and 38 daughters, and these in 
turn proved very productive. Sir Veeman Hengerveld 36158 
(with 84 A. R. O. daughters) and Paul Beets DeKol 22235 
(with 104 A. R. O. daughters) are grandsons of Paul DeKol 
on the sire's side. One of the greatest cows of the breed, 
Aaggie Cornucopia Pauline 48426, had for sire a son of Paul 
DeKol and DeKol 2d. This family has long been one of the 
more popular ones of the breed and has been widely used on 
other blood lines. 

The Segis family, one of the most popular to-day, has for its 
foundation cow Segis Inka 36617, with an A. R. O. record of 
28.04 pounds butter and dam of five daughters and two sons with 
official records. Through her daughter A. & G. Inka McKinley 
55 163 we have her grandson King Segis 36168, with 87 A. R. O. 
daughters and 82 A. R. O. sons, one of the most popular sires of 
recent years. One of his sons. King Segis Pontiac 44444, with 
many A. R. O. daughters and sons, is sire of King Segis Pontiac 
Alcartra 79602, known as the $50,000 bull, and with many high- 
class A. R. O. progeny. Segis P'ayne Johanna 1 14648, the first 
so-called 50-pound cow, is by King Fayne Segis 46767, a son of 
King Segis. Finderne Holingen Fayne 14455 i, with a record of 
1,116.05 pounds fat in a year, was sired by a son of King Fayne 
Segis. This family is noted for the large number of individuals 
producing milk of superior fat test. 

The Glista family descends from Glista 7857, the foundress of 
the entire Cornell University herd of Holstein-Friesians. This cow 
was very ordinary and as a three-year-old produced but 188 pounds 
of butter fat in a year. Three of her daughters, Glista 2d, Glista 3d, 
and Glista 4th, varied in merit, but Glista 4th had a record of 
274 pounds of butter fat in a year. With the use of superior 
bulls the herd steadily improved. Glista Ernestine is of the sixth 
generation and is one of the only five cows that have exceeded 
30 pounds 80 per cent butter in five different seven-day official 
tests. Her total milk yield for eight years is 111,182.9 pounds, 
an average of 13,897 pounds. Her butter-fat average for eight 
years is 510.62 pounds. She is the dam of eight calves; four 
of her oldest daughters have creditable A. R. O. records, and 



THE HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN 379 

two sons head first-class herds. This is rather a local but very 
interesting family that has been little affected by outside influences. 
The ten leading Holstein-Friesian sires, based on Volume XXIX 
of the Advanced Registry records, are the following : 

Note. T. D. = tested daughters : P. S. = producing sons ; P. D. = proved daughters. 

1. King of the Pontiacs 39037 . . . T. D. 236 P.S. 145 P.D. 68 

2. Pontiac Korndyke 25982 . . . . T. D. 147 P.S. no P.D. 90 

3. Lord Netherland DeKol 22187 . . T. D. 127 P.S. 37 P.D. 157 

4. DeKol 2d's Butter Boy 3d 23260 . . T. D. 118 P.S. 95 P.D. 85 

5. Hengerveld DeKol 23102 . . . . T. D. 116 P.S. 66 P.D. 85 

6. Colantha Johanna Lad 32481 . . . T. D. 109 P.S. 86 P.D. 52 

7. Homestead Girl DeKol Sarcastic Lad 

32558 T. D. 107 P.S. 44 P.D. 61 

8. Aaggie Cornucopia Johanna Lad 32554 T. D. 106 P.S. 73 P.D. 79 

9. Paul Beets DeKol 22235 ■ • ■ • T. D. 105 P.S. 49 P.D. 96 
10. Sir Veeman Hengerveld 361 58 . . T. D. loi P.S. 10 P.D. 51 

In addition to the above bulls, there are many sires famous 
for the great records of their descendants. Sir Pietertje Ormsby 
Mercedes 44931 has a wonderful record for his daughters, 22 
having yearly records averaging over 1000 pounds of 80-per-cent 
butter, and 8 having records ranging from 1023 pounds to 1389 
pounds in a year. King Pontiac Champion 53418 is not only 
the sire of lOi A. R. O. daughters but 11 have made yearly 
records averaging 23,082.6 pounds milk and 923.57 pounds butter. 
King Segis Pontiac Count 93909 sired 1 1 daughters with average 
yearly records of 22,661 pounds milk and 977.7^ pounds butter. 
Pontiac Aaggie Korndyke 38291 has 6 daughters that average 
1 2 14.9 pounds 80-per-cent butter. 

Prices for Holstein-Friesian cattle have reached figures that 
surpass those of all other breeds of dairy or beef stock. As a rule, 
good examples of producing cows will command a satisfactory 
price. For many years $500 has not been regarded as a phe- 
nomenal price for a good, plain-bred cow of the breed. Prior to 
the World War some remarkable figures had been reached. In 
1907 D. W. Field of Massachusetts paid ^8000 for the four-year- 
old cow Pontiac Rag Apple 56980, and in 191 1 Mr. Field sold 
the bull calf Aaggie Cornucopia Sir Colantha 1 02991, a son of 



38o 



CATTLE 



Aaggie Cornucopia rauline48426, toW. II. Miner of New York for 
$ 10,000. The same year, at an auction sale at Syracuse, New York, 
John Arfman of New York bought the calf King Segis Pontiac 
Alcartra 79602 for $10,000. Two years later Lawson Farm of 
New York paid Mr. Arfman $25,000 for a half interest in this 
bull. In 1914, at auction in Chicago, the bull King Segis Pontiac 
44444 was sold to a company for $20,000. Since this latter date 
prices for Holstein-Friesian cattle have risen in a remarkable degree. 




Fig. 163. Sir Pietertje Ormsby Mercedes 44931, one of the greatest Holstein- 
Friesian sires. Up to 1919 twenty-two of his daughters had made yearly records 
which averaged over 1000 pounds 80-per-cent estimated butter, and eight had 
records ranging from 1023 to 1389 pounds. From photograph, by courtesy of the 
owners, E. C. Schroeder Farms, Moorhead, Minnesota 



At the sale of E. H. Dollar on January 5 and 6, 191 5, at Syracuse, 
New York, 172 head sold for $149,990, an average of $872, on 
which occasion the bull Rag Apple Korndyke 8th 73416, a grand- 
son of Pontiac Rag Apple, sold for $25,000 to Oliver Cabana, Jr., 
of New York. Later, in June, 1 9 1 7, in auction at Worcester, Massa- 
chusetts, a son of Rag Apple Korndyke 8th, named King Ormsby 
Jane Rag Apple, consigned by Pine Grove Farms of New York, 
sold to D. W. Field Farm Company of Massachusetts for $53,200. 
At this time the dam of this calf — Ormsby Jane Segis Aaggie 
1 50943 — had '" the world's butter records over all ages and breeds 



THE HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN 381 

from 30 to 100 days," being the only cow to have made two seven- 
day records averaging over 45 pounds each. The high price for a 
cow was also made at this sale, Wandermeere Belle Hengerveld 
193784, consigned by E. Le Roy Pelletier of Michigan, selling 
for $18,300 to Shanahan & Dold Brothers of New York. At 
this same sale 143 cattle, consigned by thirty or more breeders, 
brought $296,470, and 59 animals sold for $1000 or more per 
head. In June, 19 18, in a combination sale at Milwaukee, Wis- 
consin, new records were made, 175 head bringing a total of 
$425,810, an average of $2433 each. On this occasion the bull 
calf Carnation King Sylvia 231405, consigned by A. C. Hardy 
of Ontario, Canada, was purchased by the Carnation Stock Farm 
of California for $106,000. At this same sale the cow Het-Loo 
Pietertje 38502 was sold for $12,750 to Lisle Farm Company of 
Illinois, and the cow Idleaze Pontiac Lass 238652 was sold to 
A. W. Green of Ohio for $13,000. Eight head brought figures 
ranging from $10,000 to $106,000 each, a most sensational record. 
The climax to all dairy-cattle sales up to date occurred May 27- 
30, 19 19, in the dispersal sale of the Pine Grove Herd of Oliver 
Cabana, Jr., Elma, New York, who sold 226 head for $754,270, an 
average of $3337. The bull Rag Apple the Great 230798 sold to 
Robert R. Pointer, Detroit, Michigan, for $125,000. A. W. Green, 
Middlefield, Ohio, bought Rag Apple Korndyke 8th 73416 for 
$60,000, and before the sale was over sold a half interest in him 
for $50,000. Sixty-seven of his sons and daughters averaged 
$4410. In this sale many animals passed the $10,000 mark. 
The cow Segis Hengerveld Fayne Johanna 173739 sold for 
$40,000 to Dold Brothers, Alden, New York, and Fairview 
Korndyke Mata 169926 sold for $35,000 to J. T. Shanahan, 
East Aurora, New York. An important purchase of the 19 19 
season was that of the bull King Pontiac Hengerveld Fayne by 
R. E. Haeger of Illinois for $100,000. High prices for Holstein 
cattle were also experienced in England, and these reached high 
levels on June 17, 19 19, when at a sale held by Lord Rayleigh, 82 
head brought an average of $1830. Four bulls averaged $8500, 
and the imported cow Terling Jeltje 31st sold for 5300 guineas, 
or $27,000. A heifer calf three months old, Terling Jeltje 2d, 
brought 2200 guineas, or $11,000. 



382 



CATTLE 



The distribution of Holstein-Friesian cattle outside of Holland 
is mainly in Belgium, northern Germany, parts of Russia, England, 
Australasia, Canada, and the United States. A few cattle of the 
breed have also been exported to Japan and to South America. 
In general only British breeds are kept in England, but Holstein- 
Friesian cattle are getting quite well established in that country. 
The breed is widely distributed over North America. For many 
years New York State has been regarded as the great center for 
Holstein-Friesians, but extensive herds are found to-day in Ohio, 
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, New Jersey, 

and Massachusetts. 
On the Pacific slope 
there are superior herds 
in California, Oregon, 
and Washington. In 
the South the breed is 
steadily growing in 
favor, but thus far it is 
not prominent. In ex- 
tensive dairy districts 
and near large cities 
herds are most com- 
mon. Many public 
charity, correctional, 
and penal institutions 
having farms maintain herds of Holstein-Friesian cattle. The 
states of Ohio and Michigan own a number of noted herds of 
the breed that furnish milk and butter to public charges. During 
the year 191 7 the Holstein-Friesian Association of America 
registered 88,276, which shows how extensively the breed is 
handled to-day in this country. While not so well suited to hot, 
dry climates and to rough, poor lands as some breeds, Holstein- 
Friesians seem to thrive over a wide range. 

Organizations for the promotion of Holstein-Friesian cattle first 
developed in America. About 1872 a number of men in the 
eastern United States, led by W. W. Chenery of Massachusetts, 
organized the Association of Breeders of Thoroughbred Holstein 
Catde. In 1872 the first volume of the " Holstein Herdbook " was 




Fig. 164. A prize-winning two-year old Holstein- 
Friesian heifer in the Kuperus herd, Leeuwarden. 
Holland. From photograph by the author 



THE HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN 383 

published. Nine volumes in all were issued, the last appearing in 
1885. In 1879 a number of men who had been importing and breed- 
ing Dutch cattle and who disapproved of the word "Holstein" 
as being illogical and out of place organized the Dutch Friesian 
Cattle Breeders' Association and in 1880 published Volume I 
of the "Dutch Friesian Herdbook," of which four volumes were 
issued, the last in 1885. After more or less friction, in view of 
the fact that each organization was bringing over the same class 
of cattle, a conference was held in 1885, and the two associations 
amalgamated under the name of the Holstein-Friesian Association 
of North America. Since 1885, up to January, 1919, thirty-nine 
herdbooks have been issued by the association and a total of over 
690,000 animals recorded. Up to April 7, 19 18, the association 
had a membership of 10,739. I^i 1892, as a result of dissatisfac- 
tion, the Western Holstein-Friesian Association was organized, 
and in 1894 published a herdbook, the only one issued up to 
1 899, when the association consolidated with the Holstein-Friesian 
Association of North America. In 1875 an association was organ- 
ized in Holland under the name of the North Holland Herdbook 
Association. In 1885 an American branch of this was organized, 
and Volume I of the "American Branch of the North Holland 
Herdbook" was published in 1888. The present-day leading 
organization in Holland promoting the Dutch cattle, comparable 
with our Holstein-Friesian, is the " Netherland Rundvee Stam- 
bock," with headquarters in Friesland at Leeuwarden. Up to 19 19 
this society has published fifty-five volumes of herdbooks. In 1909 
the British Holstein Cattle Society was organized. By 1900 it 
had 833 members, and up to 19 19 had published nine herdbooks. 
This organization later changed its name to the British Friesian 
Cattle Society. There is also an organization in Canada, — the 
Holstein-Friesian Association of Canada, — founded in 1891, 
which has published twenty-two herdbooks toi9i8. Ini9io the 
New Zealand Holstein-Friesian Association was organized. Besides 
the above, the Holstein-Friesian Association of North America 
publishes the Advanced Registry records, established in 1885, of 
cows that have had official A. R. O. tests. This registry also con- 
tains lists of sires of tested cows. The first volume was published 
in 1887, followed by three other separate volumes, after which the 



384 CATTLE 

Advanced Registry was for a time incorporated in the regular issue 
of the herdbook. In Volume I 31 bulls and 300 cows were regis- 
tered. Recently the Holstein-Friesian records have been published 
in an annual yearbook. Among the organizations to promote the 
breed are state associations, of which there are many to-day in the 
United States. There are also many community breeders, associa- 
tions for the promotion of this breed, notably in Ohio, Wisconsin, 
Michigan, and New York. In 1914 Mr. W. H. Jenkins wrote ^ : 
"In Chenango and Madison counties, New York, are 500 breeders 
of pure-bred Holstein cattle. An aid to breeding the finest cattle 
has been the Chenango-Madison Holstein Cattle Club organized 
a few years ago, which now has more than 200 members." An 
extension bureau of the Holstein-Friesian Association of America, 
organized in 19 18, has been instrumental in establishing breed 
clubs in many communities. 

Holstein-Friesian interests in America are given wide publicity 
through the efficient service of the Holstein-Friesian World, an 
illustrated weekly published at Syracuse, New York. The British 
Friesian Journal, published in London, advances the interests of 
the breed in Great Britain. 

^Hoard's Dahyman, November 20, 1914- 



CHAPTER XXXIII 

THE GUERNSEY 

The native home of Guernsey cattle is on the islands of Guern- 
sey and Alderney, in the Channel Islands group. Guernsey is 
seventy-eight miles southeast of Weymouth on the coast of 
England, twenty-eight miles from France, and twenty-two miles 
northwest from the island of Jersey. Four islands, — Guernsey, 
Alderney, Sark, and Herm, — while under the British sover- 
eignty, are under the local government of Guernsey. The island 
of Guernsey is roughly triangular in form, about nine miles in 
its greatest length, and five in its extreme width. While most 
of the coast is rocky and precipitous, that of the south shore is 
especially so, the cliffs rising to a height of 270 feet, the land 
roughly sloping northward to a low beach. The island has an 
area of 15,560 acres, of which about 10,000 are under cultiva- 
tion. There are ten parishes on the island, and, like Jersey, a 
lieutenant-governor represents the British crown, while a bailiff 
acts as president of the local government. There is a population 
of about 45,000 on Guernsey, and St. Peter Port is the only 
town of consequence. The people, besides producing cattle, make 
a specialty of crops under glass, such as grapes, tomatoes, musk- 
melons, cut flowers, etc., largely for the London market. It is 
said 1 that if the greenhouses now on the island were placed 
end to end, they would reach eight hundred miles, — probably 
an extravagant statement, but indicative of the extent of culture 
under glass on the island. The cattle on Guernsey are kept in 
small herds and generally tethered when on pasture, grazing 
systematically and making good use of all food. 

The origin of the Guernsey, like that of the Jersey, is quite 
obscure, but is supposed by many to have been derived from the 
cattle of Brittany and Normandy of near-bv France. Mr. Hill refers ^ 

^ Charles L. Ilill, The Guernsey Breed, p. 22. Waterloo, Iowa, 191 7. 
2 Ibid, p- 31. 



386 CATTLE 

to an undated letter written by Professor Ananias, in charge of 
agriculture in Les Vauxbelets Agricultural School, Guernsey, in 
which it is said that the monks of that institution have especially 
investigated the origin of the cattle of the island. The most 
prominent ancestor is the Brittany breed called Froment du Leon, 
which is much smaller than the present Guernsey, but possesses 
the same distinct markings — namely, red and white, fawn and 
white, etc. — and is naturally very active. The other source was 
the brindle cattle of Normandy, which were much heavier than 




Fig. 165. A view on the dock at St. Peter Port, Guernsey. This shows a line of 

vehicles awaiting turn unloading fruits and vegetables on the steamer for England. 

From photograph by the author 

the modern Guernsey or the old Froment du Leon but which 
produced a heavy yield of rich milk, often si.\ty to seventy pounds 
daily. The brindle marks and black noses occasionally seen with 
Guernseys are supposed to be reversions to the old Normandy 
cattle. These two breeds of cattle, it is assumed, were taken 
to Guernsey centuries ago, and from the commingling of their 
blood, followed by careful selection, has been derived the modern 
breed of Guernsey. The cattle of Brittany or Normandy to-day, 
based on the author's observation, present little suggestion of the 
Guernsey. The cattle on Alderney must have come from the 
same source, and in fact for many years the cattle imported to 



THE GUERNSEY 387 

England from any of the Channel Islands were commonly called 
Alderneys. No doubt the cattle of the islands were to some 
extent commingled. Mr. Hill, who is a noted Guernsey breeder 
and authority, says on this subject^: 

I have found plenty of references to the taking of cattle from both Guern- 
sey and Jersey to Alderney, and from both Guernsey and Alderney to Jersey, 
and, while I do not find any direct reference to the taking of catUe from 
Jersey to Guernsey, it is very certain, from the color of many of the cattle on 
the Island of Guernsey, that there must have been an admixture of Jersey 
blood not many generations ago. As recent as 191 3 I saw in Guernsey two 
registered cows, both daughters of the well known Fanny's Sequel, that were 
Jersey in type, and were solid, dingy black with black noses and tails. 

Mr. Hill further says : 

No one could reasonably doubt for a moment that there had been in com- 
paratively recent years an exchange of cattle from one island to another, and 
that within a century, and probably within sixty or seventy years, the islanders 
themselves considered the cattle of the different islands one and the same breed. 

The protection and improvement of cattle on Guernsey may 

perhaps be said to date from 1824, when an ordinance was passed 
forbidding the importation, under severe penalty, of "all sorts of 
French cows." The primary purpose of this law was to prevent 
the reexportation of French cattle from Guernsey to England, as 
of the island breed. A further effort leading to the improvement 
of the cattle on Guernsey must have begun about 1828, for 
according to Mr. Hill, who quotes Jeremie, there were certain 
points of excellence observed in awarding prizes on cattle of 
merit, the following scale of points being used by the judges. 

Early Scale of Points for Cattle on Guernsey 

1. Pedigree as well of the bull as the cow, yellow ears, tail, and 

good udder 7 points 

2. General appearance, handsome color, cream, light red, or both 

mixed with white 3 points 

3. Handsome head, well horned, and bright and prominent eye . 4 points 

4. Deep, barrel-shaped body 3 points 

5. Good hind quarter and straight back 2 points 

6. Handsome legs and small bone i point 

Total good, or points of excellence 20 points 

I ^C. L. Hill, The Guernsey Breed, 1917. 



388 CATTLE 

The Royal Agricultural Society of Guernsey took an active 
interest in promoting the improvement of the cattle and in 1842 
published a scale of points for bulls (giving 28 points for perfec- 
tion) and also a scale for cows and heifers (with 30 points for 
perfection). In 1882, in Volume I of the herdbook, a revised scale 
for cows, embracing 100 points, was published, and in Volume II, 
published in 1883, was given a revised scale for bulls, with a 
total of 100 points. No bull scoring less than 70 points was 
to be allowed a prize. Later these standards were revised. Each 
year the Royal Guernsey Agricultural Society holds an annual 
show on the first Tuesday in June, and in 191 1 a fall show, held 



Fig. 166. A familiar scene on Guernsey. From a photograph by the author 

on September 29, was inaugurated. Parish shows are also held. 
At the Royal Guernsey Show the king of England has for years 
offered cups for the best two bulls and the best cow, and an animal 
can win this cup but once. Animals competing for these cups 
must have been bred or calved on the island, and if won by 
a bull under two years of age he must be reserved for island 
service until three years of age, and if winning the prize at over 
two years the bull must also be kept for service at least twelve 
months following. The first local show was held in July, 1881, 
when forty cows were admitted to the herdbook as foundation 
stock and ranked as Commended, Highly Commended, and Very 
Highly Commended. This custom obtained until 19 12, when all 
cows were admitted and marked as " qualified at local shows," no 
distinction in rank being observed. Only cows in milk have ever 
been admitted as foundation stock, and it is a rule of the society, 



THE GUERNSEY 389 

now rigidly enforced, that the birth of a calf must be attested 
by a member of the society within twenty-four hours, otherwise a 
heifer would be eligible for registration as a foundation cow only 
after coming in milk. Descendants of foundation (F.) or pedigree 
stock (P. S.) are registered as pedigree stock. 

The introduction of the Guernsey to America dates back early 
in the last century. In 1824 Reuben Haines of Germantown, 




Fig. 167. Sheet Anchor 2934 (imp.), calved in 1891, a famous Guernsey sire 

and show bull. Owned by H. McKay Twombly, Madison, New Jersey. From 

photograph by Schreiber 

Pennsylvania, wrote in the " Memoirs of the Pennsylvania Agri- 
cultural Society " that he " procured a pair of cattle of the Island 
of Alderney " and soon satisfied himself that no breed in the 
country would bear a comparison with them. These were imported 
in 1818 and may be regarded as Guernseys in fact, inasmuch as 
cattle on Alderney island are to-day registered in the island of 
Guernsey herdbook. According to publications of the Ameri- 
can Guernsey Cattle Club, cattle were brought to America from 
Guernsey about 1830 by a Mr. Prince of Boston and placed 
on a farm of his in Massachusetts. Soon after importation a 
cow and bull were shipped to Cow Island, Lake Winnipesaukee, 



390 CATTLE 

New Hampshire. These two animals were in 1899 registered 
by the American Guernsey Cattle Club as the Pillsbury bull 5816 
and the Pillsbury cow 11 310. P'rom theni as foundation stock 
have descended some excellent cattle. The next oldest importa- 
tion of pure-bred Guernseys occurred September 26, 1840, Nicho- 
las Biddle of Andalusia, Pennsylvania, bringing over three cows 
on the schooner Pilot. These were registered by the club as Jennie 
Deans i, Fenella 2, and P'lora Mclvor 3, and from them came 
the heifers Fanny P^Usler 4, P'airy 5, and the bull St. Patrick 1. 
These were the first entries in the American herdbook. About 
185 1 J. P. Swain imported a few animals from the Channel 
Islands, two being from Guernsey. One of these, Guernsey 184, 
was a superior milker, and her first calf, Cottie 188, lived to a ripe 
old age and was a valuable producer and breeder. Importations 
were also made in 1855 by VV. II. Stewart and E. M. Hopkins 
of Torresdale, Pennsylvania, and by C. II. Mshcr of Philadelphia. 
About 1865 E. P. P. Fowler and P. II. P'owler of England and 
the United States, prominent dealers in Channel Island cattle, 
began to bring Guernseys to America. In 1872 Mr. J. M. Codman 
of Brookline, Massachusetts, visited the island and imported a few 
animals which were looked upon with favor in New England. 
In 1874 the Massachusetts Society for tlie Promotion of Agricul- 
ture made an importation, and these cattle were distributed over 
the state to different farms, including those of \l. V . Powditch of 
F'ramingham, W. C. Cabot of Brookline, and James Lawrence of 
Groton. These three latter herds were still in existence in 19 18. 
Beginning with the seventies considerable activity occurred in im- 
porting Guernseys, and up to 191 8 over 6000 were imported. 
On February 7, 1877, eleven energetic breeders came together at 
the Astor House, New York City, and organized the American 
Guernsey Breeders' Association. At the first annual meeting, in 
December, 1877, it was reported by Edward Norton, the secretary, 
that 193 Guernseys, 114 of which were imported, were registered 
by forty different breeders. Then for years the breed received but 
little attention, until about 1893, when public interest was excited 
by the record made by Guernseys in the tests at the World's 
Columbian Exposition at Chicago. Since then Guernseys have 
steadily gained in favor ; the supply has hardly equaled the demand. 



THE (GUERNSEY 



391 



Characteristics of Guernseys. In orucrnl appearnucc the caltic 
of lliis hired arc larger than Jerseys, are of eoarser niake-u]), and 
show a nioie rugged character. The luiul tends to he sonu'vvhal 
plain, the lace I'reciuenlly heing rather straight and lacking the 
gracelul curves characlerislie of the jersey. The horns should he 
while or anihcr coloi I'd, and ari- olli'n tinted a (let'|) )'i-llow. curving 




l'"i(;. if),S. Tlonoria's Sequel 2(1, winner of the Kind's f"np ^^x\ (luernsoy. Owncfl 
by Allied l.e i'alomel, I,a Kamee, ("iiiernsey. T'loin |)li<)li)j;ia|)li l)y tlie anilior 



gracefully around inward and slightly n|)wai"d, with the cow; those 
of the bull heing shorter, stronger, and less curved. 'I'he ///v/- 
of the Guernsey shows considerable relative length, the withers 
tend to be coarse rather than refuied, and heaviness of shoulder 
is (|uite fre(|uent. Many eattU- ol the bri'cd lack in level top line, 
especially back of the withers. ICxcc-Uent digestive capacity is 
indicated in the capacious niiddlepiece, which is rather character- 
istic of the breed. The hiud quarters tend to be a bit |)romi- 
nent at the tail head and full at the ihii^hs. The udder varies 



392 CATTLE 

considerably in the type, with the fore part inclined to be short and 
carried high. In spite of the above criticisms, those familiar with the 
Guernsey during the past twenty-five years have noted a marked 
improvement in type and dairy conformation. There is much less 
roughness of outline and more finish and quality than heretofore. 
The class of Guernsey cattle seen in the shows of importance 
to-day is markedly superior to those of even a few years ago. 

The color of the Guernsey is either yellowish, brownish, or red- 
dish fawn, the latter prevailing, frequently with white markings 
or with white on the limbs or under part of the body. The most 
recent scale of points in use on Guernsey applies the following 
color qualifications to both bulls and cows : "Hair fine and silky, 
fawn or red, black or brindle, with or without white markings." 
In the last scale of points adopted by the American Guernsey 
Cattle Club (1918) the color markings are given as "a shade of 
fawn with white markings." The modern tendency favors the pre- 
dominance of fawn, and many Guernseys of to-day show compar- 
atively little white. The color of the skin at the nose is commonly 
of a cream or buff tint, in other words, white, but a dark slatish 
black is not uncommon. There has been more or less controversy 
over the color of the Guernsey nose, a light color being much 
preferred, but the dark nose has never been condemned, though 
not by any means popular. Mr. C. L. Hill states that " the buff 
nose is fashionable in the show ring, but it is safe to say that 
this fashion has not been helpful to the Guernsey breed, as in the 
past it is well known that many of the brindles and dark cows 
have been among the very best animals." The hair about the 
muzzle and eyes should be of a whitish or very light fawn, some- 
times termed "mealy color." The horns and hoofs are preferably 
of a dark-amber hue. 

The skin secretions of the Guernsey have long been regarded 
by breeders as important guides to the quality of the milk. 
The 1828 points of excellence specified yellow ears and tail. In 
1842 the scale of points emphasized that the ears should be 
orange colored inside. In the latest island scale of points fifteen 
credits are given to features associated with color of milk, as 
when the skin is deep yellow in the ear, on the end of the bone 
of the tail, and on the udder, teats, and body generally. The 



THE GUERNSEY 393 

new 19 1 8 Guernsey scale of points gives twenty points credit for 
essentially the same features. Some nonpartisan friends of the 
breed have regarded these figures as too great a proportion of the 
100 points making up the standard. However, it must be con- 
ceded that the deep yellow secretions and the thin, mellow, elastic 
skin of the Guernsey are very important indicators of the superior 
quality of the animal and its riiilk. 

The size of the Guernsey may be classed as medium. The tend- 
ency during the past quarter of a century has been towards in- 
crease in size. Weight is not usually much discussed by European 
breeders, but for many years four points have been credited in 
the standard either to growth or to size, the latter word now being 
used. No standards of weight, however, are given. The present 
American scale adopts "about" 1600 pounds for the mature bull 
and 1 100 pounds for the cow as standard weights. In a discus- 
sion on the subject of weight at the annual meeting of the American 
Guernsey Cattle Club, May 15, 1918, Mr. Tarbell said : 

It is not material, I believe, whether the Guernsey cow weighs 1050 
pounds, 1 1 25 pounds, or 11 50 pounds; in fact, a 1000-pound cow is quite an 
ideal Guernsey cow. That gives a little latitude, depending entirely upon other 
things in connection with the matter. Personally, I should like to see it left 
" about 1 100 pounds," and the bull the same way, " about 1600 pounds," if it 
could be done. Mr. Hill stated that he thought "iioo pounds in milking 
condition a pretty big cow. I think it would be about ideal to strive for." 

The temperament of the Guernsey is superior, the males per- 
haps being hardly as nervous and irritable as are Jersey bulls, 
although the dairy temperament is characteristic of each sex. In 
1899 the American Guernsey Cattle Club adopted standards for 
each sex, where thirty points were credited to "' dairy tempera- 
ment and constitution," but in the more recent 19 18 standards 
no reference is made to temperament. From the standpoint of 
disposition the Guernsey is very good, being naturally quiet and 
easily handled. 

The maturing character of the Guernsey is not remarkable. The 
young bulls show masculine traits more slowly than the Jersey 
and reach maturity somewhat later. 

The crossbred or grade Guernsey has its distinctive place on 
the dairy farm. Crossing of breeds is not advisable, but using 



394 CATTLE 

Guernsey sires on grade cows will give excellent results if in- 
telligently followed, yielding very rich milk eminently suited to 
butter-making or city cream or milk trade. If a sire with strong 
constitution is selected for use on grade Jerseys, the constitution, 
size, and productivity of the herd may be improved ; if used on 
grade Holstein-Friesian cows, a herd producing richer milk, though 
not so much, may be expected. In a publication of the American 




Fig. 169. Rutila's Daughter C670, calved in 1891, a very beautiful Guernsey 

cow with a record of 8988 pounds milk in one year, testing 489.8 pounds 

butter fat. Owned by II. McKay Twombly, Madison, New Jersey. From 

photograph by Schreiber 

Guernsey Cattle Club on "the Grade Guernsey Cow" much in- 
teresting evidence is brought forward. L. E. Bronson, referring 
to five years' work in grading up, states that since following this 
practice of grading to the Guernsey, the yearly yield of the herd 
has increased over 100 pounds butter fat per cow. N. I. Bowditch 
of Massachusetts, a long-time Guernsey breeder, writes : 

I am glad to be able to write you that this cross has been very satisfactory, 
especially so the first cross with Holsteins. I have bred several Holstein cows 
that tested from 2.8 to 3.4 butter fat. and their progeny have given me milk 
testing all the way from 4.5 to 5.6. I have crossed the Guernsey bull with 



THE GUERNSEY 



395 



grade Durhams, Ayrshires and Jerseys, and as a rule the result has been very 
satisfactory. I am raising about 25 grade heifers each year, and have a very 
promising lot of heifers and young cows. 

In a recent address ^ on '' Grade Guernseys in the Central West," 
before the Western Guernsey Breeders' Association, Noel Negley 
reports that of 37,772 cows on test by seventy-seven Wisconsin 
cow-test associations, 5938, or 23 percent, of the grades were grade 
Guernseys. The average milk production of 1498 of these cows 
was 5655 pounds, testing 4.7 per cent fat and producing 265.9 
pounds butter fat. Twenty 
grade cows from ten herds 
averaged 10,153.4 pounds 
of milk and 508.4 pounds 
of fat. 

The Guernsey in beef 
production can have but 
a subordinate place. A 
larger and perhaps fatter 
carcass may be made than 
with the Jersey, but this 
presents the same objec- 
tion as other dairy breeds, 
— too much offal, a low 
percentage of high-priced 

cuts, and, in this case, too yellow fat. In flavor and quality 
Guernsey beef or veal will rank high among dairy type breeds. 

The prolificacy of the Guernsey probably does not differ much 
from that of the other dairy-type breeds. In 19 16 the American 
Guernsey Cattle Club published some comparative figures on the 
rate of gain of several breeds, including its own, as based on 
office records in registration. In 1906 the yearly increase of reg- 
istrations for the Ayrshire, Guernsey, Holstein, and Jersey breeds 
averaged J .66 per cent, that of the Guernsey being 9.3 per cent. 
In 191 5 the average percentage increase of the four breeds was 
12.46 per cent, that of the Guernsey being 14 per cent. On the 
basis of these comparative records the conclusion is reached that 
'" there is more assurance that the average Guernsey herd will 

^ Ciier?isey Breeders' Journal ^ May i, 1918. 




Fig. 170. Island Champion 62623 (imp). Be- 
fore importation this bull, a winner of the highest 
honors on the island, was known as Masher II. 
From photograph by the author 



396 CATILE 

double in a given number of years than there is for some of the 
other breeds, and just as much assurance as any breed can give." 
The Advanced Registry of the American Guernsey Cattle Club 
was based on action of the club in May, 1901, when a set of 
rules for officially testing bulls and cows under the supervision 
of agricultural college or experiment station officials was adopted. 
In 1894 some preliminary work in this direction was attempted, 
and in July, 1897, the Club published some rules for making 




Fig. 171. Princess May 1479 F- S., a choice specimen of a Guernsey cow, and 

dam of the imported bull Deputy 2917, at head of the Pan-American Exposition 

Guernsey herd. From photograph by the author 

butter tests for cows under supervision of the executive committee 
of the Club, samples of the milk being tested by experiment 
station officials, and late in 1898 four different breeders regis- 
tered for testing their herds. The work then done, mainly in 
1899, attracted much favorable comment, and the rules adopted 
in 1 90 1 were the outgrowth of this experience. These rules 
(which have undergone more or less revision) in 19 18 involve the 
following essential factors : If the record is commenced the day the 
animal is two years old, or previous to that day, she must produce 
within one year from that date 250.5 pounds of butter fat. For 



THE GUERNSEY 



397 



each day the animal is over two years old at the beginning of her 
year's record, the amount of butter fat she will be required to 
produce in the year will be established by adding o.i (one tenth) 
of a pound for each day to the 250.5 pounds required when two 
years old. This ratio is applicable until the animal is five years 
old, when the required amount will have reached 360 pounds, 
which will be the amount of butter fat required of all cows five 
years old or over. Any period of three hundred and sixty-five 




Fig. 172. Spotswood Daisy Pearl 17696, one of the great Guernsey cows, with 
a world's record in 1910-1911 of 957 pounds butter fat. Owned by O. C. Barber, 

Barberton, Ohio 



consecutive days or less in which a cow has made her require- 
ments may be used for determining her record, regardkss of any 
time lost on account of being dry during that period. The ordi- 
nary Guernsey Advanced Registry classes are A, for cows five years 
old and older ; B, four and one-half to five years ; C, four to four 
and one-half years ; D, three and one-half to four years ; E, three 
to three and one-half years ; F, two and one-half to three years ; 
G, two to two and one-half years. If, in addition to making the 
requirements in her respective class, a cow shall carry a calf or 
calves two hundred and sixty-five days in her test, the letters used 



398 



CATTLE 



to indicate her class shall be doubled and would be respectively 
AA, BB, CC, DD, EE, FF, or GG, according to the conditions. 
The Guernsey as a producer of milk has steadily grown in favor, 
although breeders have emphasized the quality and fat content. 
In the year 1 888-1 889 the cow Lily Alexandre 1059 produced 
12,856 pounds of milk. Between 1883 and 1903 daily milk 
records were kept of the N. K. Fairbanks herd of 60 head, in 
which 6000 to 7000 pounds were not infrequent, the best record 
being 9447 pounds in three hundred and twenty-eight days. The 
average annual yield of 62 cows and heifers of the Ellerslie herd of 
New York for about 1892 was 6120 pounds, with 10,316 the max- 
imum. Various other herd records of this period gave similar re- 
sults. Beginning with the Advanced Registry rules about 1900 came 
a greatly increased activity in- record-making. The following yearly 
official records up to 1919 are for the more important ten animals. 



Leading Guernsey Milk Records for One Year 



Name and Number of Cow 


Age when 

TESTED 


Year tested 


Yield 


Murne Cowan 19597 

Nella Jay 4th 38233 

Langwater Mope 27946 

Yeksa's Tops of Gold's Fannie 22362 

May Rilma 22761 

Belladia 31909 

Langwater Nancy 27943 

Spotswood Daisy Pearl 17696 . . . 

Dolly Dimple 19144 

Imp. Donnington Goldie 5th 59866 . 


8 years 

5 years 

6 years 
10 years 

6 years 

6 years 

7 years 
7 years 

3 years 

4 years 


1914-1915 
1916-1917 
1915-1916 
1915-1916 
1913-1914 
1915-1916 
1917-1918 
1910-1911 
I 908- I 909 
1916-1917 


24,008 lb. 
20,710 lb. 
19,882 lb. 
19,794 lb. 
19,673 lb. 
19,632 lb. 
18,783 lb. 
18,603 lb. 
18,459 lb. 
17,862 lb. 



Many very large milk yields are recorded. Of 7943 Advanced 
Registry milk records up to March, 19 19, over 2300 aged cows 
averaged 10,288 pounds, while the average for the 7943, repre- 
senting all ages from two years up, was 9000 pounds. The aver- 
age yield of 70 class leaders for this group was 15,160 pounds, 
a remarkable record when one considers the size" of the animal 
producing the yield. 

The Guernsey as a producer of butter fat occupies a position 
of the very first rank. A study of the history of the breed brings 



thp: guernsey 



399 



into clear light the importance the islanders have long placed on 
the butter-producing value of the milk. The first island scale of 
points of importance, that of 1842, makes as the first qualification 
that the pedigree shall be of ancestry known to produce "rich, 
yellow butter.". Guernsey milk is usually of a higher natural 
yellow color than that of any other breed. The fat globules are 
comparatively large and have a deeper yellow than even the 




Fig. 173. Langwater Dairymaid 26377, bred by Langwater Farms, North Easton, 
Massachusetts, and sold at public sale for $6150. As a five-year-old, this cow pro- 
duced 16,949 pounds milk and Si 2.66 pounds fat. From photograph, by courtesy 
of Langwater Farms, F. L. Ames, owner 



Jersey. In fact, Guernsey breeders seek the rich yellow as charac- 
teristic, arguing that with this breed it is not necessary to color 
the butter artificially, as its natural yellow meets the market de- 
mands. The per cent of fat in all Advanced Registry testing up 
to the middle of 19 18 shows 5 per cent as an average, with 5.2 
per cent for the 70 class leaders. In the Pan-American dairy 
breed competition, in which the Guernseys secured first honors, 
the average per cent of fat in the milk was 4.68 compared with 
4.82 for the Jersey. However, the Guernsey butter scored an 



400 



CATTLE 



average of 96.34 total points compared with 95.80 for the Jersey, 
while in color that of the Guernsey had an average grade of 14.97 
out of a possible 15 points, the best record of any of the ten 
breeds. The 5 Guernsey cows in the Pan-American test for the 
six months produced 1429.43 pounds of churned butter, valued at 
i^357-36, yielding a net profit of $220.37, the best record of any 
breed in profit and almost the first record in amount of butter 
produced, the Holstein-Friesian leading in this regard by only 
three fourths of a pound. In this test of 50 cows of ten breeds, 
the Guernsey cow Mary Marshall 5604, aged ten years, led the list, 
producing in six months 561 1 pounds of milk, testing 5.36 per 
cent and yielding 301.13 pounds butter fat and 354.26 pounds 
churned butter, giving a total profit of $59.43. Guernsey breeders, 
however, have attached special importance to long-time tests, being 
from the first advocates of this method to measure the producing 
value of the cow. Following are the leading records in butter-fat 
production of Advanced Registry cows up to 19 19. 

Leading Guernsey Butter-Fat Records for One Year 



Name and Number of Cow 


Age when 

TESTED 


Year tested 


Yield 


Murne Cowan 19597 

May Rilma 22761 

Nella Jay 4th 38233 

Langwater Nancy 27943 

Langwater Hope 27946 

Yeksa's Tops of Gold's Fannie 22362 
Spotswood Daisy Pearl 17696 . . . 

Julie of the Chene 30460 

Imp. Bijou des Frances 44541 . . . 
Belladia 31909 


8 years 

6 years 

5 years 

7 years 

6 years 
10 years 

7 years 
6 years 

6 years 


1914-1915 
1913-1914 
1916-1917 
1917-1918 
1915-1916 
1915-1916 
1910-1911 
1914-1915 
1917-1918 
1915-I916 


1098.18 lb. 
1073.41 lb. 
1019.25 lb. 
1011.66 lb. 
1003.17 lb. 

981.531b. 

957.38 lb. 

953-53 Ib- 
943.41 lb. 
934.05 lb. 



The average of the above ten records is 997. ^ pounds of butter 
fat, a remarkable showing. Up to January i, 1919, there were 
recorded annual butter-fat records of 7943 different cows, which 
showed an average yield of 450 pounds, while the best 70 cows in 
seven classes had the high average of 790 pounds. It is interesting 
to note that there are 10 junior and 10 senior two-year-old heifers 
in this list of 70 class leaders, and 1 1 of these 20 have produced 



THE GUERNSEY 401 

yields of fat from 703 to 773 pounds each. With the present im- 
proved condition of the breed it is not unreasonable to expect the 
average herd to produce 350 pounds of butter per head, if not more. 

The cheese value of Guernsey milk ranks very well, although 
not largely used for this purpose, being mainly turned to butter 
production or retail milk trade. The milk stands well in total 
solids, that of whole herds often averaging 14 to 15 per cent, 
thus furnishing a satisfactory grade of cheese. The only official 
test on a large scale showing the value of Guernsey milk in 
cheese-making was in 1893 at the World's Columbian Exposition. 
In this trial, covering fifteen days, participated in by Guernseys, 
Jerseys, and Shorthorns, the Jerseys stood first, scoring 90.7 ; the 
Shorthorns, second, scoring 90.5 ; and the Guernseys third with 
87.2. However, in net profit the Guernseys stood second to 
the Jerseys. 

Families of Guernsey cattle have attracted attention only in 
comparatively recent years and more especially since official 
testing has become established. The number of families is not 
large, but of these the following may be regarded as of special 
distinction. Charles L. Hill has made a valuable contribution 
regarding Guernsey families,^ and from his writings the author 
quotes freely and with appreciation. 

The Bonnie Lassie family descends from Bonnie Lassie of 
Fern wood 1845 A. G. C. C, calved on Guernsey in 1883 and 
imported to Boston in September the same year by L. W. Ledyard. 
Her first calf. Bonny Boy 1097, did much for the fame of this 
family. He sired several excellent daughters, but his real impor- 
tance is through his sons, of which Lily's Bonny Boy 2676 is 
especially noteworthy. He was sire of Lily Ella 7240, with a 
semiofficial record of 782 pounds of fat in a year, and of Lillyita 
7241, with a record of 71 1 pounds. Three of his other daughters 
have official records of over 500 pounds of fat each, and twenty- 
eight of his daughters have private or public records exceeding 
Advanced Registry requirements. The great record cow Murne 
Cowan 19597 is a granddaughter of a son of Lily Ella — Lily 
Ella's Jeweler 5417. The blood of this and the Materna families 
have been much intermingled. 

1 The Guernsey Breed (1917), and Hoard's Dairyman, December 22, 191 1. 



402 



CATTLE 



The Dolly Bloom family is descended from Dolly Bloom 12770, 
which traces back on the sire's side five generations to Bonny Boy 
1097. Dolly Bloom was calved April 14, 1900, and was bred by 
Ezra Michener of Pennsylvania. Dolly Bloom was a great pro- 
ducer of both milk and progeny. As a five-year-old she made 
17,298 pounds of milk containing 836.21 pounds of fat. However, 
she receives her chief fame from her daughter Dolly Dimple 19 144, 




Fig. 174. Langwater Warrior 26509, a prominent Guernsey sire of fine style and 
type. Owned by Langwater Farms, North Easton, Massachusetts. From photo- 
graph, by courtesy of Mr. Ames 



with the great record of 18,459 pounds of milk and 906.89 pounds 
fat in a year as a three-year-old. Another daughter, Dolly Bloom 
of Langwater 15452, had a record of 632.34 pounds of fat, and her 
daughter Langwater Dolly Bloom 22136 had the large record of 
867.89 pounds fat in a year. Jethro Bass 11 366, a son of Dolly 
Bloom, has sired a number of high-producing daughters, including 
Rose of Langwater 24204, with a year's record of 751.62 pounds 
fat, and Langwater Dairymaid 26377, with a record of 812.66 
pounds fat. This latter cow also sold for $6150 at public auction. 



THE GUERNSEY 403 

This and the May King famihes, in the hands of F. L. Ames of 
Massachusetts, have been bred together to great advantage. 

The France family, one of the most popular of the breed, has 
its origin in the cow France 404 F. S. 2207 A. G. H, B, She 
was bought by P. D. Ozanne from Mr. T. Vidmour, Les Frances 
Farm, St. Saviours, Guernsey, and from this farm she got her 
name. She was imported in September, 1884, by A. F. Fuller of 
Pennsylvania and sold to Francis Shaw of VVayland, Massachu- 
setts. She left on the island one daughter, France 2d, and as she 
was in calf when imported she dropped a heifer in America, 
France 3d 2573 (injp.). On the island her daughter, who was 
later imported, also dropped a heifer, named France 3d 3018 P. S. 
P'rom this latter, France 3d, this family descends. The mating of 
Masher 2d 858 P. S., later known as Island Champion 6263 (imp.), 
to France 3d, later known as La Belle France 14454 (imp-). Pro- 
duced PVance's Masher 2d 7248 (imp.), the sire of Masher's Sequel 
1 1462 (imp.), one of the greatest sires of the breed. Raymond 
of the Preel 11353 (imp.), sire of a large number of Advanced 
Registry daughters, is a son of Masher's Sequel. This family in- 
cludes a large number of animals in the Advanced Registry, but 
the records produced are hardly as high in butter fat as some of the 
others. This especially applies to daughters of Masher's Sequel. 

The Glenwood Girl family descends from Glenwood Girl 1693, 
imported in dam in 1883 by L. W. Ledyard of New York. 
Calved in 1884, she soon after became the property of E. T. Gill 
of Haddonfield, New Jersey, in whose possession she dropped 
twelve living calves, seven being heifers. These daughters, mostly 
sired by different bulls, were an unusual group, but one of them, 
Glenwood Girl 2d 9108, produced 9945 pounds of milk and 
508.7 pounds of fat in a year and lived to be sixteen years old. 
Her son Glenwood Boy of Haddon 4605 sired many Advanced 
Registry daughters, including Jedetta of Pinehurst 17434, with a 
record of 778.8 pounds of fat in a year, and Dairymaid of Pine- 
hurst 24656, with a record of 17,285 pounds of milk and 910.67 
pounds of fat in a year. Mr. Hill wrote^ in 191 1 that it was his 
opinion, if Glenwood Boy of Haddon had had the opportunity 
that some bulls had of serving a large number of females, he 

^ Hoard''s Dairyman, December 22, 191 1. 



404 



CATTLE 



would easily have led all sires in the number of his Advanced 
Registry daughters. Through the sons and grandsons of Glenwood 
Boy of Haddon has come a large number of Advanced Registry 
cows, including Elberons' Glenwood of Pfaddon 28934, with test 
of 825.9 pounds of fat in a year, and Miranda of Mapleton 19606, 







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Fig. 175. Langwater I'auline ,i35'iii. 1)V Kui- of tlie May. First prize in class at 
National Dairy Show. Record for three hundred and forty-four days, as a three- 
year-old, 10,918.8 pounds milk and 595.37 pounds fat. Bred by Langwater Farms, 
North Easton, Massachusetts. From photograph, by courtesy of F. L. Ames 



with a record of 927.16 pounds. Glenwood Girl 6th 91 13, a 
daughter of old Glenwood Girl and long regarded as a model of 
the breed in conformation, was dam of Glenwood's Mainstay 
6067, with many Advanced Registry daughters. This family is 
looked upon with special favor. 

The Masher family descends from Masher 705 P. S., calved 
on Guernsey May 2, 1890, bred by F. N. Mahy, and owned by 
Alfred Le Patourel of La Ramee farm. Through his son Island 



THE GUERNSEY 40$ 

Champion 6263 (Masher 2d 858 P. S.), a famous prize winner on 
the Island, comes a Hne of noted animals. Langwater Dorothy 
27944, with Advanced Registry record of 781.65 pounds of fat in 
a year, was four generations removed from old Masher. Spots- 
wood Sequel 9686 (imp.), son of Spotswood Busy Bee 17606 
(imp.), by Island Champion, is sire of many Advanced Registry 
daughters, including Lady Lesbia 25142, with test of 787 pounds 
of fat in a year. Masher's Sequel 1 1462, previously referred to in 
the France family, is a grandson of Island Champion. Masher's 
Sequel bred to Galaxy 4422 P. S. sired Galaxy's Sequel 16904 
(imp.), winner of the King's Cup in 1907 and sire of many 
daughters in the Advanced Registry. This family is very closely 
interwoven with the France family. 

The Materna family receives its name from the cow Materna 
1334, calved September 3, 1882, on the farm of N. K. Fair- 
banks, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. She was sired by Amber 145, 
the grandsire of Glenwood Girl 2d. Materna came from a very 
good milking strain, her dam being Nerissa of Geneva 848. In 
1893 Materna was first-prize Guernsey cow at the Columbian 
Exposition at Chicago and highest ranking in the Guernsey herd 
test at the Exposition, in ninety days producing 3512 pounds of 
milk containing 153.39 pounds of fat. Materna dropped twelve 
calves between 1884 and 1898, two of which died early. Her 
daughter Morn 5947 was dam of Standard's Morning Glory 
1 2 80 1, with Advanced Registry record of 714.01 pounds of fat 
in a year and granddam of Starlight's Excelsior 7992, sire of 
many tested daughters. 

The May Rose family descends from May Rose 1392 F. S., 
calved May 12, 1881, bred and owned by Pierre Martel, La Masse 
Farm, Castel, Guernsey. Her ancestry is unknown. Through her 
daughter May Rose 2d 3251 P. S. this family came into special 
fame. She won first prizes at the Royal Guernsey shows in 1894, 
1896, and 1897, and, exported to England, was third at the Royal 
Show the latter year. May Rose 2d had four sons and five daugh- 
ters. The sons were Paradox 352 E. G. H. B., a noted show bull 
in England ; Our Paradox 873 P. S.; Jubilee de la Massee 1083 
P. S., later named May Day 11 32 E. G. H. B. ; and May King 
1395 E. G. H. B., later known as May Rose King 8336 (imp.). 



4o6 CATTLE 

The daughters were May Rose 3d 3252 P. S., May Rose 4th 7682 
(imp.), Rose of Gold 3668 P. S., May Rose 8th 3998 P. S., and 
Itchen May Rose 4839 E. G. H. B. This family has been dis- 
tinguished not only for a large number of show animals but also 
for many high-testing cows. Through the sons of May Rose 2d 
remarkable results have been secured. May Day was the sire of 
May Day Pearl 15 195 (imp.), dam of Spotswood Daisy Pearl 
iy6g6, with a record of 957.38 pounds of fat in a year. May 
Rose King (imported by H. McKay Twombly in 1902 at a cost 
of $3500) proved a most successful sire, for all of his daughters 
entered the Advanced Registry, and his sons even surpassed him. 
The most noted of his sons is King of the May 9001 (imp.), sire 
of Langwater Rosie 21333, with a record of 724.23 pounds of fat; 
Langwater Dorothy 27944, with a record of 781.65 pounds of fat; 
and Langwater Hope 27946, with a record of 19882 pounds of 
milk and 1003.17 pounds of fat, each within a year. Beda's May 
King 1 1893, another son of May Rose King, has been a success- 
ful sire, having many daughters in the Advanced Registry. This, 
without question, is the most popular family at the present day. In 
1914 L. E. P. Smith wrote ^ that "an investigation of the English 
herdbooks to and including Volume XXIX, shows that there have 
been recorded almost precisely 500 female descendants of May 
Rose 2d. There were approximately 250 remaining in the Eng- 
lish herds, 140 have died, 100 have been imported to America, 
and 10 have been exported to South America, Australia, and New 
South Wales, and even to China. The same records show approxi- 
mately 200 male descendants of May Rose 2d. Of this number 
only 35 now remain in England, 1 30 have died or been slaughtered, 
25 imported to America, and 10 exported to Australia and South 
America." 

The Tricksey family descends from Tricksey 1760 (imp.), bred 
on Guernsey by John Gibson of St. Martins and imported to 
America by S. C. Kent. She changed hands several times, 
finally reaching the Minnesota Experiment Station. A daughter, 
Tricksey 3d 3 191, and a son, Benjamin 1931, were her most 
potent offspring. Benjamin, in the herd of C. L. Hill of 
Wisconsin, was very successful as a show bull and a sire. Ben 

^ Guernsey Breeders'' Journai. 



THE GUERNSEY 



407 



Bishop 3506, a son of Benjamin, was sire of a number of ani- 
mals in the Advanced Registry, and his son Glenvvood Bishop 
9186 was the sire of Glenwood's Buttercup 48137, with a record 
of 769.82 pounds of fat in a year. Suke of Rosendale 6520, by 
Benjamin, was the dam of Prince Rosendale 4291, well known 
as a show bull and as a sire of cows with creditable tests. 

The Yeksa family descends from Yeksa 2426, bred by I. J. 
Clapp of Wisconsin and calved April 12, 1885. She was a heavy 
milker and is said to have a private record of over 600 pounds of 
butter as a three-year- 
old. She had one son, 
Yeksa's Prince 1943, 
and two daughters, 
Queen Vashti 6051 
and Bonny Jean 3646. 
This son was the sire 
of Yeksa Sunbeam 
15439, the record of 
which in 1904- 190 5 of 
1 4,92 1 pounds of milk 
and 857.1 pounds of 
fat was the first notable 
feat of production by 
a cow of the breed and 
resulted in attracting 
much attention to this line of breeding. Queen Vashti was 
the dam of Queen Deette 9794, with a record of 669.82 
pounds of fat in a year, and of Yeksa's Queen 6631, whose son 
Guydette 3966 w^as sire of Yeksarose 166 10, with a record of 
678.16 pounds of fat. A grandson of Yeksa's Queen in this 
line, Endymion 8916, sired a number of Advanced-Registry 
daughters, including Endymion's Primrose 23795, with test of 
848.88 pounds of fat in a year. Lord Yeksa 6451, another 
grandson, sired Yeksa's Tops of Gold's Fannie 22362, with a 
record of 19,795 pounds of milk and 981.53 pounds of fat in a 
year. This family has combined show-yard and producing merit 
in a high degree. For some years following the test of Yeksa 
Sunbeam cattle of this family were in great demand. 




P'iG. 176. Lord Yeksa 6451, owned by J. H. Beirne, 

Oakfield, Wisconsin. A very successful sire. From 

photograph, in 1904, by the author 



4o8 



CATTLE 



The ten leading Guernsey sires up to August i, 191 8, as based 
on the records of their daughters and sons in the Advanced 
Registry of the American Guernsey Cattle Club, are as follows : 



Name and Number 



1. Governor of the Chene (R. G. A. S. 1297 P. S.) 

2. Masher's Sequel 11462 A. R. (imp.) 

3. Galaxy's Sequel 16904 A. R. (imp.) 

4. Cora's Governor of Chilmark 8971 A. R. (imp.) 

5. Justinees' Sequel of the Preel (R.G. A. S. 21 19 

P. S.) A. R 

6. Masher (R.G.A.S. 63 F.S.) A.R 

7. Princess's Jewel 24877 A. R. (imp.) 

8. Lord Mar 14359 A. R. (imp.) 

9. Glenwood's Mainstay 6067 A.R 

10. Glenwood Boy of Lladdon 4605 A. R 



Year 

CALVED 


A. R. 

Daugh- 
ters 


A.R. 

Sons 


1904 


76 


18 


1900 


68 


22 


1904 


40 


19 


1903 


40 


3 


1907 


35 


3 


1904 


31 


8 


1904 


28 


I 


1905 


27 


3 


1899 


26 


15 


1895 


26 


14 



Prices paid for Guernsey cattle in recent years have attracted 
much attention. In the United States good cows of the breed 
have been in strong demand since the Columbian Exposition test 
in 1893, but for many years following this date no abnormal prices 
were paid for Guernseys. In 1910 F. L. Ames of Massachusetts 
paid $2000 for the cow Imp, France 8th 21262, and Chestnut 
Hill Farm of Ohio, the same year, paid $2000 for the bull Galaxy's 
Sequel 16904 (imp,), these being at that time the top prices on 
this breed. In August, 191 1, the bull George Washington of 
Fairfield Farm 10866 was sold by Corydon Peck to C. D. Ettin- 
ger of Illinois for ^3500, and late this same year F. L. Ames 
sold to M. H, Tichenor of Wisconsin a bull calf out of Dollie 
Dimple for ^6000, In 191 4 the noted cow May Rilma 22761 
was sold by E, B. Cassatt of Pennsylvania to John P. Crozier of 
the same state for $5010. Since the opening of the World War 
prices have increased by leaps and bounds. On October 10, 19 16, 
at a sale at Langwater Farms, North Easton, Massachusetts, 74 
head brought $80,625, an average of $1075. C. L. A. Whitney 
of New York paid $6150 for Langwater Dairymaid 26377, and 
John A. Ames bought Langwater Generous 41958 for $5000, 
H. G. Lapham of Massachusetts bought Langwater Easter Lily 



THE GUERNSEY 



409 



39269 and Langwater Pear 26605 at $4200 each. On May 16, 
19 1 8, a combination sale was held at Lake Forest, Illinois, under 
the auspices of the American Guernsey Cattle Club, when Gj 
animals brought $102,925, an average of $1536 each. The top 
price was $10,000 for the bull Don Diavolo of Linda Vista 23565, 
bought from Dr. C. G. Parnell of Michigan by John C. Haartz of 
New Hampshire. The highest-priced cow was Langwater Luxury 




Fig. 1 77. Violet IV of Corbinez 32405 (imp.), a Guernsey cow with official record 

of 16.336 pounds milk and 756.72 pounds fat. Owned by Waddington Farm, Elm 

Grove, West Virginia. From photograph, by courtesy of the owner 



49484, by Imp. King of the May 9001, sold by F. L. Ames for 
$5 300 to Frank D. Stout of Wisconsin. Langwater Amiable 49480, 
by Langwater Stars and Stripes 21872, consigned by Mr. Ames, 
was sold to Burnside Farm of Maryland for $5000. In 19 18 
W. G. Jamison and Sons of Wisconsin sold to W. H. Dupee of 
California the bull Pencoyd's Golden May Secret 39626 for 
$10,100, while late in 19 18 C. D. Cleveland of New Jersey sold 
the bull Plorham Autocrat 25749 to A. T. Herd of Pennsylvania 
for $14,500. This same year 1318 Guernseys sold at public sales 
for an average price of $330. The 220 cows brought an average 



4IO 



CATTLE 



of $574, and 517 heifers averaged $305. On May 15, 19 19, 
Florham Farms of New Jersey established a new Guernsey sale 
record. Eighty-three head sold for $180,275, an average of 
$2172 per head. Eight bulls brought $44,800, averaging $5600. 
Fifty-six animals exceeded the $1000 mark. A two-months-old 
bull calf, Florham Leader, by Ne Plus Ultra 15265 and out of 
Langwater Nancy 27943, sold for $25,000 to Oakes Farms and 
Hugh Bancroft of Massachusetts. The cow Follyland Nancy 
52457 sold for $12,500 to J. L. Hope, Madison, New Jersey. 




Fig. 178. A map showing the comparative distribution of the Guernsey over the 
United States in 1917. By courtesy of American Guernsey Cattle Club 

The distribution of the Guernsey breed is mainly limited to 
Guernsey island, England, the United States, Australia, and 
Canada. The breed is popular in England, and many fine herds 
have long been maintained in that country, especially in midland 
and southern counties. In the United States the breed has its 
principal foothold in the states north of the Ohio and east of 
the Mississippi. According to the annual report of the secretary 
of the American Guernsey Cattle Club, up to 19 18 there were 
678 members in the club, the Middle Atlantic section having 
37.58 per cent; New England, 18.58 ; Wisconsin, 16.48 ; Central 
states, 12.78 ; South Atlantic states, 6.24 ; Central Western states, 
4.31 ; Pacific coast, 3.57; and Canada, 46 per cent. According 
to the Guernsey Breeders' Journal, in 1917 Wisconsin led all 



THE GUERNSEY 41 1 

other states with 11,454 Guernsey cattle registered, New York 
ranking second with 63 1 1 . Guernseys have a considerable foot- 
hold in Australia and New South Wales, and a few animals have 
been exported to France, Japan, Brazil, Cuba, Central America, etc. 
Organizations for the promotion of Guernsey interests exist on 
Guernsey and in England and the United States. The Royal 
Guernsey Agricultural and Horticultural Society has for many 
years supervised the registration and promotion of Guernseys 
on the island. Two herdbooks are maintained — one for general 
registration, the other for Advanced Registry. Up to 19 18 twenty- 
nine volumes of the island herdbook had been published. The 
English Guernsey Cattle Society was organized in 1885 and has, 
up to 19 1 8, published thirty- five herdbooks. The American Guern- 
sey Cattle Club was organized in 1877 in New York City and has, 
up to 191 8, published about thirty-two herd registers. These were 
for years published in book form, but in 191 3 they became a 
part of the GncTuscy Breeders' Journal, a semimonthly of merit 
devoted to the advancement of the breed. Independent volumes 
of the herdbook must now be made up from the herdbook pages 
of this journal. 



CHAPTER XXXIV 

THE AYRSHIRE 

The native home of the Ayrshire is in southwestern Scotland 
in the county of Ayr, from which the breed derives its name. 
Ayr is triangularly crescent in shape, its southern tip just touch- 
ing latitude 55° N., its western boundary somewhat indented and 
bordering the Irish Sea and river Clyde, its other sides skirted 
by the counties of Renfrew, Lanark, Dumfries, Kirkcudbright, 
and Wigtown. There is an extreme length of about 80 miles, 
with an area of about 11 50 square miles. Rather poor and sandy 
land occurs in the southern part toward the sea, while much beau- 
tiful rolling pasture land of fair soil is found more inland, with 
rougher land on the eastern borders rising to a height of 2000 
feet. On the better lands, which are clayey, roots, grass, oats, and 
wheat are largely grown and there is abundance of summer graz- 
ing. The climate is very moist, and the bitterness of a northern 
winter is somewhat tempered by the sea. 

The origin of the Ayrshire has been in the main a complex 
one. Alton, the first and almost only early authority on the 
breed, wrote '" A Survey of Ayrshire " about 181 1. He regarded 
it as the native breed of Ayr improved by certain other stock. 
Some time about 1770 Teeswater cattle. Shorthorn, or similar 
stock were introduced into Ayrshire. John Dunlop of Dunlop 
is credited with importing cows of large size, of either Teeswater, 
Dutch, or Lincoln breeds, and in 1805 Dunlop stock is referred 
to by Forsythe as having been established in the parish of that 
name for over a century. Other writers claim that the cattle 
of the Channel Islands crossed with Shorthorns were early used 
in Ayrshire. About 18 18 West Highland cattle were used by 
Mr. Parton near Dairy, Ayr, on a superior herd of Ayrshires. 
Devon and Hereford blood are also said to have been used by 
other breeders. The earliest accounts of the cattle of Ayrshire 
show them to have been black and white. About 1780 red and 

412 



THE AYRSHIRE 



413 



white became fashionable, while from 1785 to 1805 brown-and- 
vvhite mottled cattle were much preferred; later, in 18 10, red 
and white was a common color. These latter colors of brown, 
red, and white have been carried down to the present time. Thus 
it is apparent that the Ayrshire as a breed is evolved from a variety 
of blood, mainly from types associated with larger milking capacity. 

The early improv- 
ers of the Ayrshire 
were not notably dis- 
tinguished over the 
general run of breeders 
who seek to improve 
local cattle. It was 
early evident that the 
people laid importance 
on milk production. 
Forsythe, a Scotch- 
man, writes in 1805 of 
cows yielding from 24 
to 30 quarts of milk 
daily; and in 1829 
William Harley states 
that he had cows that 
occasionally gave 2 5 
to 30 quarts in one day 
and even produced 40 
quarts in this time. In 

1836 the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland offered 
a large premium to be competed for by the breed. In 1848, in a 
prize essay,! Keary states that Ayrshires are of two distinct sorts : 
the native breed, a small, light-boned animal, and the Dunlop 
Ayrshire (a cross between the native breed and the Holderness), 
which is much larger. The small breed is considered of the best 
quality. There are herds of Dunlop Ayrshires, as well as of the 
native breed, in many parts of the kingdom, esteemed for their 
excellent milking qualities. By 1850 Ayrshires were the prevail- 
ing stock in Ayr and also in Renfrew and Lanark counties. In 

'^Journal Royal Agricultural Society of England, Vol IX, p. 442. 




Fig. 179. Baron's Best of Bargenock 12858 (imp.), 

an Ayrshire bull in Highland Farm herd, Bryn Mawr, 

Pennsylvania. From photograph by the author 



414 CATTLE 

1853 the first systematic effort at improvement came in a scale 
of points adopted by the Ayrshire Agricultural Association. In 
1866, in a prize essay on county Ayr, Archibald Sturrock writes 
that "a capacious and well-set udder is certainly the chief point 
of excellence in the Ayrshire cow." 

The introduction of the Ayrshire to America probably first oc- 
curred early in the last century, when Scotch settlers moved to 
Canada. In the Llanoirs of the Pennsylvania Agj-icnlinral Society 
for 1824 considerable discussion is devoted to breeds of cattle, 
yet the Ayrshire is not named. John Hare Powell, the secretary, 
who had studied the breeds in Europe, says, " I have traced every 
importation of which I have heard," and makes special reference 
to eight different states and various breeds, but does not mention 
the Ayrshire. Sturtevant states that the first importation into 
the United States is thought to have been made in 1822 by 
H. W. Hills to Windsor, Connecticut. In 1837 the Massachusetts 
Society for Promoting Agriculture imported one cow, which is 
reported to have yielded sixteen pounds of butter a week for 
several weeks. Lewis F. Allen of New York writes that in 1837 
he visited the Ayrshire herd of John P. Cushing near Boston, 
Massachusetts, who had imported from Ayrshire regardless of 
price. In 1848 E. A. Brown introduced Ayrshires to Ohio, these 
being the first of this dairy breed to enter the state. 

The characteristics of the Ayrshire breed of cattle are very 
distinctive. The head, from a profile standpoint, has a some- 
what straight line from poll to nose, the eyes are of fair promi- 
nence, and the horns are somewhat large, though not coarse, and 
are erect of carriage. Modern Ayrshire horns, besides being erect 
and widespread, frequently curve slightly backward at the dark- 
colored tips. The horns of some aged bulls are remarkably large 
and conspicuous and, as a rule, are brought to the desired form 
by mechanical device. The Ayrshire neek is hardly as lean as 
that of a Jersey, the witJiers are attractive in refinement, the 
shoulder tends to be smooth, and the body deep of rib and of 
large digestive capacity. The nnnp is usually broad, long, and 
well carried, while the thighs and hind quarters partake some- 
what of fleshiness, enough so in the Ayrshire steer to produce 
in many cases a creditable hind quarter for the butcher. A good 



THE AYRSHIRE 415 

type of the breed exhibits considerable depth of body and short 
rather than long legs. The udder of the Ayrshire has been the 
cause of much discussion in recent years. The most approved 
form is carried up high behind, extends well forward under the 
belly, with the underside or sole (as it is sometimes termed) level 
and free from a deep groove between right and left gland, and 
with teats of good size well placed at each quarter. This type of 
fleshy udder has been the source of much serious criticism in the 





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Fig. 180. Netherhall Good Time 11447 (imp.), an Ayrshire bull owned by Bran- 
ford Farms, Groton, Connecticut. This is a good representative of the modern 
type of mature Ayrshire bull. From photograph by Hildebrand, by courtesy of 
the American Agriculturist 

Scotch press, and it has been repeatedly pointed out that the cow 
with this sort of udder was the result of catering to an American 
fad. From a show point of view more uniformity obtains in a 
ring of aged Ayrshire cows than with any other breed. In quality 
Ayrshires are not superior to other breeds. 

The color of the Ayrshire includes red, brown, and white. In 
1875 Sturtevant quoted as follows from a letter from Robert 
Wilson, a breeder in Scotland : 

Colors of Ayrshires are much the same since I can remember ; different 
breeders have their particular color. Light yellow, though common with some 



41 6 CATTLE 

breeders, is not the most common color. Red and white flecked, though it 
should incline a little to yellowish or brown, is more a prevailing color of the 
breed .... White, if there be not roan mixed with it, I do not consider a 
proof of the presence of Shorthorn blood. Our favorite colors are white flecked 
or red bodies and white legs. Dark reds and black muzzles are favorites also. 

In 1875 Sturtevant published statistics of a color classification 
of 2852 Ayrshires in the United States, of which 2014, or 
70.61 per cent, were red and white ; 222, or 7.78 per cent, red 
or mostly red; 241, or 8.45 per cent, brown and white; and 
194, or 6.80 per cent, white and red, the balance being split 
into various colors. The Ayrshire Breeders' Association scale of 
points has specified red of any shade ; brown ; or these with white ; 
mahogany and white; or white, — each color distinctly defined. 
Brindle is allowed, but is regarded as undesirable. Professor 
A. C. McCandlish has recently written ^ regarding black-and- 
white Ayrshires, of which he says there are several herds in 
Scotland, the origin of which may be considered obscure and 
derived from many sources rather than one. The most popular 
Ayrshire color shows a greater percentage of white than of red 
or brown, these colors being in solid blotches. The old-fashioned 
flecked marking is not looked on with favor by color faddists. 
Many Ayrshires of to-day are very largely white, as, for example, 
the $6000 bull Penshurst Mischief Maker, all white excepting a 
small bit of dark color by the tail head and upper thigh and on 
neck and face. Addington Queen 3d 29558, one of the great 
cows of the breed, has even less dark color than Penshurst 
Mischief Maker. This matter of color is purely a fad and should 
not be allowed to interfere with breed improvement. 

The size of the Ayrshire is fairly uniform. The American 
standard calls for the mature bull to weigh not less than 1500 
and the cow 1000 pounds. The Scotch standard favors a cow 
weighing about 1050' pounds. Sturtevant gives the weights of 
nine pure-bred aged cows in his herd which varied from 985 to 
1200 pounds. The cows in Mr. Winslow's herd from 1881 to 
1887 showed an average yearly weight of from 1020 to 1102 
pounds per head. Referring to the subject of size an official 
circular from the Ayrshire Breeders' Association states that at 

1 The Ayrshire Quarterly (January, 1918), Vol. Ill, No. 4, p. 24. 



THE AYRSHIRE 



417 



maturity a cow of the breed weighs "from about 1000 pounds 
to 1200, sometimes going as high as 1400 or 1500." 

The temperament and disposition of the Ayrshire suggests 
something of the freedom associated with the Scotch hills. 
There is hardly the docility found in some breeds reared in 
close restraint, as, for example, the Jersey or Brown Swiss, never- 
theless the Ayrshire is quiet enough for all practical purposes. 

The Ayrshire for 
early maturity is more 
comparable with the 
Holstein-Friesian than 
the Jersey. The males 
frequently do not show 
strong sex character, 
as expressed in head 
and neck, until reach- 
ing well into yearling 
age. The heifers also 
are somewhat slow in 
developing the mater- 
nal character often seen 
in some breeds. These 
qualities, however, are 
fully developed when 
at full maturity. 

The crossbred or 
grade Ayrshire is better 
suited to milk production than anything else. Consequently Ayr- 
shire bulls on grade cows will improve the herd to greater milk- 
producing power and may add to their selling value to the butcher 
if used on Jersey grades. 

The prepotency of the Ayrshire is one of its distinguishing 
features. In Scotland one may see ample evidence of the impress 
of pure-bred bulls on the grade herds of the country. The well- 
bred Ayrshire bull transmits in marked degree his color and the 
head and udder characteristics. 

The Advanced Registry system of the Ayrshire Breeders' 
Association was inaugurated in 1902- 1903 for the purpose of 




Fig. 181. Rena Ross 14539, an aged Ayrsliire cow 
owned by Highland Farm, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. 
Rena Ross is one of the greatest reproducing cows 
of record. The mother and five daughters have 
thirteen records averaging 13,114 pounds milk and 
532.84 pounds fat. From photograph by the author 



4i8 



CATTLE 



making official tests of cows owned by members of the association. 
Up to 1908 but 120 cows and heifers had been admitted to 
Advanced Registry. Since this period, however, a great increase 
in testing has taken place, so that by 191 8 a total of 2799 cows 
and heifers had made acceptable records. The essential features 
of Advanced Registry testing of Ayrshires are as follows : the 
tests are conducted under the supervision of a state agricultural 
experiment station or agricultural college official. All tests are for 
one year from time of freshening or until the cow comes dry from 

that freshening. There 
are four cow classes : 
two-year, three-year, 
four-year, and five- 
year or older. In the 
two-year form : "If 
her record begins the 
day she is two years 
old, or before that time, 
she shall, to entitle her 
to record, give not less 
than 6000 pounds of 
milk in three hundred 
and sixty-five consecu- 
tive days from the be- 
ginning of the test, and 
214.3 pounds of butter 
fat, and for each day she is over two years old at time of begin- 
ning the test there shall be added 1.37 pounds of milk to the 
6000 pounds and .06 pound of butter fat to the 214.3 pounds." 
In the three-year form 6500 pounds of milk and 236 pounds of 
fat are required, with 2.74 pounds milk and .12 pound fat added 
for each day she is over three years old at time of beginning the 
test. In the four-year form 7500 pounds of milk and 279 pounds 
of fat are required, and in the mature form 8500 pounds of milk 
and 322 pounds of fat. A bull, to be admitted to Advanced Reg- 
istry, must be typical of the breed, score at least 80 points, and 
have two daughters from different dams in the Advanced Registry ; 
or he may be admitted without pliysical qualifications and scoring 




Fig. 182. Judy of Knockdon, a first-prize Ayrshire 

cow at the Highland and Agricultural Society Show. 

Owned'by Alexander Cross, Knockdon, Maybole, 

Scotland. From photograph by the author 



THE AYRSHIRE 



419 



if he has four daughters in the records, each from different 
dams. Official testing is also conducted in Canada and by the 
Ayr Society for Milk Record, in Scotland, 

The Ayrshire as a milk producer has been regarded with favor 
for over a century, and it is this quality that has been sought 
from the first. In 181 1 Alton wrote that probably 1200 Scotch 
pints (2148 quarts) of milk from each cow in the course of a 




Fig. 183. Jean Armour 25487, foundress of the Jean Armour family of Ayrshires. 

Not only was she a great show cow but she has an official record of 20,174 pounds 

milk and 774.73 pounds fat in a year. Owned by Mrs. F. D. Erhardt, West Berlin, 

Vermont. From photograph, by courtesy of the Anierkan Agricii/iinisi 



year would be a fair average. In 1829 Harley, a famous dairy- 
man, placed the average of his herd at 12 quarts a day. One of 
his cows for a considerable time gave 40 quarts per day. In the 
earlier records kept in the United States the annual yields ranged 
from about 5000 to 7000 pounds. A number of New England 
herd records were kept continuously for years, beginning in 1873 
or 1874, notably by Sturtevant Brothers and J. W. D. French of 
Massachusetts and L. S. Drew and C. M. Winslow of Vermont, 
the latter for many years secretary of the Ayrshire Breeders' 
Association. Up to 1900 but few cows of the breed produced 



420 



CATTLE 



over 10,000 pounds of milk in a year, the best-known record 
previous to that time being that of Polly Puss 16296 in Pennsyl- 
vania, of 12,632 pounds, official test. In 1885 the cow Duchess of 
Smithfield 4256 created much favorable comment by producing 
in a seven-day test 463 1 pounds of milk, from which was made 
19 pounds 6 ounces of butter. Since the year 1900 very great 
improvement in production has taken place with this breed, and 
up to 1 9 19 eight mature cows and one three-year-old had made 
official records of over 20,000 pounds of milk each. F"ollowing 
are the ten leading official milk records previous to January i, 1919. 



Ten Leading Official Milk Records of Ayrshire Cows to 1919 



Name and Number , 



Garclaugh May Mischief 27944 
Auchenbrain Brown Kate 4th 27943 
Lily of Willowmoor 22269 • • • 
Garclaugh Spottie 27950 .... 

Jean Armour 3d 32219 

Auchenbrain Yellow Kate 3d 36910 
Gerranton Dora 2d 23S53 .... 

Jean Armour 25487 

Canary Bell 25748 

August Lassie 29581 



Age 


Year of 
Record 


Pounds of 

Milk 


ID 


1914-1915 


2S'329 


— 


1912-1913 


23,022 


— 


1912-1913 


22,596 


— 


1914 


22,589 


3 


1915-1916 


21,938 


— 


1914-1915 


21,123 


— - 


1911-1912 


21,023 


12 


1911-1912 


20,174 


9 


1917-1918 


19,863 


7 


1916-1917 


19,582 



The Canadian cow Grandview Rose 40395, the first cow in 
Canada to pass the 20,000-pound mark, has a record of 21,423 
pounds of milk, placing her high in the above class. The ten 
leading milk records in each class of the Advanced Registry 
to March, 19 19, range from an average of 21,741 pounds for 
mature cows to 14,036 pounds for the junior two-year-olds — 
an average for the best seventy cows of 15,779 pounds. One 
senior two-year-old — Henderson's Dairy Gem 35176 — has to 
her credit 17,974 pounds of milk. The greatest continuous pro- 
ducer of the breed is Lily of Willowmoor 22269, she having in 
five years produced a total of 84,991 pounds of milk — an average 
of 16,991 pounds per year — and 3362 pounds of butter fat. 
This is one of the most remarkable examples of Ayrshire milk 
production on record up to 1919. 



THE AYRSHIRE 



421 



The Ayrshire in butter-fat production is subordinate to the 
Holstein-P'riesian, Guernsey, and Jersey. Fair samples of the 
milk average 3.5 to 4 per cent fat and about 12.5 per cent total 
solids. The average fat content of the seventy leading cows and 
heifers in the Advanced Registry records to January, 19 18, was 
3.89 per cent. Tested cows, as a rule, show to the best advantage 
in this respect. In official yearly tests as far back as 1900 a record 
of 500 pounds of fat was regarded as very good indeed. In 1908 
the secretary of the Ayrshire Breeders' Association reported that 
fifty-one mature cows in the Advanced Registry produced an aver- 
age of 436 "" pounds of butter." Great progress has been made 
since then, so that up to January, 19 19, some surprisingly large 
official records in butter fat have been produced, as shown below. 

Ten Leading Official Butter-Fat Records of Ayrshire Cows 

TO 1 9 1 9 





Af;E 


Year of 
Record 


Butter Fat 




Poinds 


Per cent 


Lily of Willowmoor 22269 

Auchenbrain Brown Kate 4th 27943 . 
Garclaugh May Mischief 27944 . . . 
Auchenbrain Yellow Kate 3d 36910 . 

Jean Armour 3d 32219 

August Lassie 29581 

Agnes Wallace of Maple Grove 25171 

Garclaugh Spottie 27950 

Gerranton Dora 2d 23853 

Jean Armour 25487 


10 

7 
4 

10 


I912-1913 

1912-1913 

1914-1915 

1914-1915 

1915-1916 

1916-1917 

1914-1915 

1914- 

1911-1912 

191I-1912 


955-56 
917.60 
894.91 
888.33 
859.65 
831.50 
821.45 
816.25 
804.79 
774-73 


4-23 
3-99 
3-53 
4.21 

3-92 
4.25 

4.65 
3.61 

3-83 
3-84 



The ten leading records in the mature class of Advanced 
Registry cows average 851.69 pounds fat, while the junior two- 
year-olds average 532.84 pounds. The average of the seventy 
leading cows and heifers to March, 191 9, is 617.37 pounds. 
The best record of a two-year-old is that of 738.32 pounds, 
made by Henderson's Dairy Gem 35176. The average record 
of 3243 cows and heifers in the Advanced Registry up to 
March 6, 19 19, is given as 380.47 pounds butter fat, the milk 
testing 3.96 per cent. 



422 



CATTLE 



Ayrshires in public tests have stood well. In the Pan-American 
dairy-breed test in 1901 the five Ayrshires for one hundred and 
twenty days ranked second in milk production, yielding 32,998,2 
pounds milk, compared with 39,260.2 for the Holstein-Friesian ; 
fourth in estimated butter, 1434.7 pounds; and second in net 
profit, $242.24. It is but fair to state in this connection that 
the Pan-American specimens of Ayrshires in the test were fine 
examples of the breed, which did not obtain with some of the 




Fig. 184. August Lassie 29581, an Ayrshire cow with an official record in a year 

of 19,582 pounds milk and 831.5 pounds fat. This cow shows very large digestive 

capacity and unusual development of veins on abdomen and udder. Owned by 

Hilltop Farm, Wheeling, West Virginia. From photograph by the owners 



Other breeds. The best Ayrshire in the test, Betsey ist, pro- 
duced 7041.5 pounds milk, which tested 3.59 per cent fat and 
yielded in estimated butter 298.57 pounds. She was eighth in 
rank among the fifty cows, giving a net profit of $46.07, com- 
pared with the Guernsey Mary Marshall ist, with a net profit of 
$59.40. In comparisons made at various experiment stations and 
at fairs the Ayrshire has usually stood second to the Holstein- 
Friesian in milk production, but above in butter fat. 

Ayrshire milk for cheese-making has long been a standard for 
making Cheddar cheese in Scotland, where it is made on a large 
scale in the Avrshire district. Containing as it does about the 



THE AYRSHIRE 



423 



standard amount of fat and solids for cheese-making, this milk 
is regarded with favor for this purpose. In cheese tests at the 
Ontario Experimental Farm 100 pounds of Ayrshire milk pro- 
duced 12.9 pounds of curd, compared with an average of 12.8 
for all breeds and grades. 

The Ayrshire as a producer of beef ranks among the first of 
the dairy breeds. It is natural for animals of this breed to carry 
somewhat more flesh than the more refined dairy type. Ayrshire 




Fig. 185. Pansy's Daughter of South Farm 37642, a very beautiful Ayrshire 

heifer bred by John Sherwin, Willoughby, Ohio, that sold at the New England 

Ayrshire Club sale in 1918 for I4200. From photograph, by courtesy of the 

Ayrshire Breeders' Association 

steers feed to make a very salable carcass, with a killing quality 
more acceptable to the butcher than the other dairy breeds, lack- 
ing the high fat color of the Jersey and Guernsey and the offal 
of the Holstein-Friesian. One Ayrshire steer ten hundred and 
ninety-five days old is reported by Henry to have weighed 1320 
pounds, gained 1,2 pounds daily, and dressed out 63.3 per cent, 
the poorest daily gain made by any of eleven breeds, but dressing 
out better than Sussex, Holstein-Friesian, Jersey, or native. Other 
evidence also indicates that Ayrshire? mature and feed slowly. 



424 



CATTLE 



Leading Ayrshire sires, based on official tests up to March, 
19 19, as published in The Ayrshire Quarterly, are as foUows : 



Name and Numhkn 



Finlayston 8882 

ISeuchan Peter Pan 12971 .... 
Earl's Choice of Spring Hill 8289 

Nox' email 7312 

White Cloud of Hickory Island 10377 
Morton's Mains Queechy 11 537 . . 
Willowmoor Robin Hood 11900 . . 
Moonstone of Drumsuie 8228 . . . 

Howie's Dairy King 9855 

Holehouse White King 1034S . . . 



Total 

Daughters 

IN Advanced 

Registry 



51 
51 

42 

35 
32 

27 

23 



'9 



Average 
Pounds 

OF MlI.K 



10,421 
9,890 
9,061 
9'772 

11,276 
9,890 
9,820 
8,778 

11,695 

10,386 



Average 
Pounds 
OF Fat 



430-95 
39377 
379-45 
372.81 
439.62 
400.01 
431.80 
357-03 
457-17 
403.18 



The above records are based on the number of daughters in 
the Advanced Registry rather than total entries, for under the 
latter an animal may be entered several times, based on retesting ; 
for example, Finlayston has 5 1 daughters, and these are given 
99 entries in the Advanced Registry, he leading the list in this 
respect. However, Howie's Dairy King, next to last on the list, 
with 2 1 daughters and a total of 29 entries, is the sire of Jean 
Armour 3d, with a record of 21,938 pounds of milk and 859.65 
pounds of fat, which fact gives this sire great distinction. 

Prices on Ayrshire cattle until recently have not been remarkable 
and for many years were within very modest bounds. In 19 10, at 
the Lotus Fields sale at West Berlin, Vermont, 37 Ayrshires sold 
for $8760, an average of $236, on which occasion the top price 
for a bull of the breed — $1600 — was paid for Bargenoch Bonnie 
Scotland 11974 by John Sherwin of Ohio. The ten-weeks-old 
calf Jean Armour 2d also sold for $1000 to William Hunter of 
Canada, and $1000 was paid for Howie's Cream Pot 27965, 
the champion cow of the 1910 Scottish shows. In 191 1 Hunter 
and Sons of Ontario, Canada, sold 1 1 7 head for $40,490, and 
43 cows averaged $407.55. In 191 4 Hugh J. Chisholm of 
New York paid $5000 for Hobsland Perfect Piece (imp.) 10665. 
In August, 191 5, the champion Ayrshire cow Jean Armour 25487, 
the property of W. P. Schanck, Avon, New York, sold at 



THE AYRSHIRE 



425 



auction for $4000 to Mrs. F. D. Erhardt of Vermont. In 191 7 
Penshurst P^arm of Pennsylvania sold Penshurst Mischief Maker 
1 87 19, a son of Garclaugh May Mischief, for $6000. On February 
2, 19 1 8, at the Hillhouse Farm bull sale at Kilmarnock, Scotland, 
19 bulls sold for an average of $778, eight of which averaged 
$1455. In June, 191 8, at the New England Ayrshire sale at 
Hartford, Connecticut, 38 cows brought an average of $702, the 
top price up to this date. Six cows brought prices ranging from 
;^I200 to ;$4200, the top figure for an Ayrshire female. This 
was paid for the American-bred cow Pansy's Daughter of South 
P"arm 37642, sold by 
John Sherwin to G. S. 
Mawhinney of New 
York. The imported 
cow Lochfergus Cherry 
33297 sold for $3750 
to P. Bradley of Mas- 
sachusetts. On Janu- 
ary 15, 1919, at the 
sale of J. Logan of 
Bargenoch, the twelve- 
months-old bull Barge- 
noch Royal Champion 
sold to A. W. Mont- 
gomery for $7455. At this sale 20 bulls averaged $700. On 
February i, 19 19, at the sale of James Howie, Hillhouse, Kil- 
marnock, Scotland, the bull calf Howie's Hotstuff 17895, calved 
March 15, 191 8, sold to Mrs. E. L. Howison-Crauford for $8670. 
Twenty-two of the bull calves averaged ^904. Finally, all Ayr- 
shire records were shattered when, at the sale of C. H. Peverill 
at Waterloo, Iowa, the yearling bull Rosebud Pride 22359 was 
bought by L. A. Heisler of Iowa for $18,000, while 11 bulls 
made an average of $1767. 

The distribution of the Ayrshire is almost world-wide. Con- 
siderable numbers have been exported from Scotland to Sweden, 
Norway, Finland, Russia, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, 
China, Japan, Canada, and the United States. Quite a trade 
has sprung up between Scotland and Sweden and Norway. In 




Fig. 186. Netherland Bunty, a fine type of Ayr- 
shire and a prominent prize-winner in Scotland. 
From a Scotcli photograph 



426 



CATTLE 



America the breed is best represented in Canada, notably in 
Ontario and Quebec, while in the United States it is chiefly 
found in the New England and Plastern states, although a few 
select herds are found in Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, and on the Pacific 
coast. In the Mississippi Valley west of New York the Ayrshire 
has never succeeded in securing but a frail foothold in spite of its 
evident merit. The breed seems to have adapted itself unusually 
well to the cooler and more hilly sections, being a good grazer 
and thriving under not the best of conditions. In fact the Ayrshire 
in Britain has been termed the poor man's cow, being better able 

to thrive on inferior 
land and feed than 
any other breed ex- 
cepting the Kerry, 

Organizations to 
promote Ayrshire in- 
terests exist in Scot- 
land, Canada, and the 
United States. In 
1863 a few men or- 
ganized in Massachu- 
setts and that year 
published Volume I 
of the " Herd Record 
of the Association of 
Breeders of Thorough- 
bred Stock, Ayrshire." In 1868 a second volume w^as published, 
and in 1871 Volume III appeared with the title "The American 
and Canadian Ayrshire Herd Record." In January, 1875, the 
American Ayrshire Breeders' Association was formed, which 
continued this record, publishing Volume IV that year. In 1876 
Volume V (old series), or Volume I (new series), of the "Ayr- 
shire Record " came out, since which date a total of thirty-three 
volumes (new series) has been published up to 1919. In 1874 
E. L. and Joseph Sturtevant started a herdbook, publishing 
Volume I in 1875 as the " North American Ayrshire Register," 
this being for cattle tracing to importation. They published four 
volumes, the last in 1880. The Ayrshire Importers' and Breeders' 




Fig. 187. Fairfield Mains Jean 6th 33274 (imp.), a very 
superior type of Ayrshire cow owned by Hugh J. Chis- 
hohn, Port Chester, New York. She has an official 
record of 14,877 pounds milk and 467 pounds fat in a 
year. From photograph, by courtesy of Mr. Chisholm 



THE AYRSHIRE 427 

Association of Canada was organized in 1870, and the Dominion 
Ayrshire Breeders' Association in 1889; in 1898 the former 
merged with the latter. In 1884 the province of Ontario pubhshed 
Volume I of the " Dominion Ayrshire Herdbook." In 1886 Vol- 
ume I of the " Montreal Ayrshire Herdbook" was published, and 
four volumes in all issued as the " Canadian Ayrshire Record," 
after which it was merged with the Dominion book into the 
" Canadian Ayrshire Record," Volume XXVIII being published 
in 19 19. The Ayrshire Breeders' Association (American) also 
provides for an Advanced Registry for both bulls and cows. The 
Scotch Ayrshire Cattle and Herdbook Society was founded in 1877, 
the first volume of the herdbook appearing in 1878, since when 
forty-one volumes have been published up to 191 8 inclusive. 

In 191 5 the Ayrshire Association from its headquarters at 
Brandon, Vermont, began the publication of The AyrsJiirc 
Quarterly, a very excellent illustrated journal that is devoted to 
the promotion of the breed. There are a number of state Ayr- 
shire associations, as well as district and local clubs in both 
Canada and the United States. 



CHAPTER XXXV * 

THE DUTCH BELTED 

The native home of Dutch Belted cattle is Holland, where they 
are known as Lakenfelds, Lakenvelders, or Veldlarkers. The word 
lakcii means a sheet or blanket of white about the body. 

The origin of Dutch Belted cattle is quite obscure. F. R. Sanders, 
long a prominent breeder of these cattle in America, made a trip 
to Holland in 1907 especially to investigate the early history and 
present conditions of these cattle in that country. He states ^ that 
from conversation with several of the oldest breeders in Holland 
it is their opinion that these cattle began to flourish about 1750 
in the vicinity of Haarlem, North Holland. Dutch noblemen 
owning large estates conceived the idea of breeding different kinds 
of farm animals so that they would have white sheets or belts about 
the body, with black ends. From this effort came these Dutch 
Belted cattle, Lakenvelder fowls, and the Lanche swine of Holland 
and Germany. There are but few herds of Dutch Belted cattle in 
Holland, and these are mostly in the provinces of Utrecht and 
North Holland. 

The introduction of Dutch Belted cattle to America dates back 
to 1838, when D. H. Haight of Goshen, New York, made the 
first importation, followed by a second in 1848. P. T. Barnum, 
the famous showman, and R. W. Coleman also made importations. 
General Grant is said to have owned a herd at one time on a 
farm near St. Louis.^ About 1900 several head were imported to 
America, since which time none have been brought to this country. 
The early development of the breed in the United States was 
largely in southern New York, in Orange County. 

Characteristics of Dutch Belted cattle. In general afpearauee 
these cattle are rather distinctively of the dairy type. The best 
of the breed, according to Mr. Sanders, has a highly developed 

1 Dutch Belted Ilerdbook, Vol. VIII, 1907. 

2 Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican, September 3, 190S. 

428 



THE DUTCH BELTED 



429 



dairy form, thin neck, small head, straight back, deep chest, high 
and broad hips and rump, well-developed udder and milk veins, 
mellow skin, soft hair, and a highly nervous temperament. In 
sise they are somewhat smaller than the Holstein-Friesian, being 
more comparable with the Ayrshire. G. G. Gibbs, late secretary 
of the Dutch Belted Cattle Association, states that the cows weigh 
from 900 to 1250 pounds, while a number of bulls have exceeded 
a ton in weight. The bull Duke of Ralph 255 when three years 




Fig. 188. Auu 11 (',5, mic nf the most prominent prize-winning Dutch Belted 
bulls in the history of the breed. Owned by F. R. Sanders. From a photograph 

by the author 



old weighed 1200 pounds, Edward the Great I 2000 pounds, and 
Duke of Goshen 27 also 2000 pounds. A weight of 1500 pounds 
or more should prevail with the bulls. The cow Lady Aldine 124, 
a well-known prize winner, weighed 1200 pounds. In color the 
cattle are invariably black, with a white band of varying width 
about the body, in front of the hips, rarely reaching the shoul- 
ders. Sometimes this band narrows to even a foot in width or 
less, and, again, other specimens have it as a wide blanket. The 
fore part of the udder of the cow is also often white. In udder 
conformation and development these cows are rather inferior, 



430 



CATTLE 



the size being comparatively small, the fore udder abbreviated, 
and the teats placed too closely together. 

Dutch Belted cattle as milk producers are of secondary impor- 
tance, but very little having been done in breeding them for heavy 
production. The cow Lady Baird 82 was credited with 32 quarts 
of milk in a day in a private record in 1H93 at the World's 
Columbian Exposition. Lady Aldine 124 is said to have made 




Fig. 189. Ida May 829, an excellent type of Dutch Belted cow; owned by 
D. B. Wilson, Waterbury, Connecticut. From photograph by the author 



32 quarts of milk in a day on grass alone. But few official tests 
of the cows have been made. The Lancecote herd at Peapack, 
New Jersey, has shown the best records up to 19 18. Of these 
the following are of most importance : 



Name of Cow 


Ar.E 


Yield within 365 Davs 


Milk 


Fat 


Peapack Princess .... 

Peapack Pam 

Peapack Dutchess .... 
Peapack Anna 


3 
4 
4 


8,745 lb. 
10,681 lb. 
13,065 lb. 
13,1591b. 


312.17 lb. 

353-17 lb. 
447.64 lb. 
484.31 lb. 



THE DUTCH BELTED 43 1 

F. R. Sanders states ^ that in his own herd in New Hampshire 
eleven cows made an average of 8579 pounds of milk for eight 
years, and "one cow produced 12,672 pounds of milk in one year 
and in six years 60,297 pounds," with an average butter pro- 
duction of 596 pounds. The only test of this breed which has 
been reported to the public was in the Pan-American Model Dairy 
test in 1901, in which ten breeds participated. In this trial the five 
Dutch Belted cows made the following record in one hundred 
and twenty days : 



Yield of milk . . . 


24,893.5 lb. . 


. breed rank, 


eighth 


Churned butter . 


977.1 lb. . 


breed rank, 


tenth 


Net profit on butter . 


$111.96 


breed rank, 


tenth 


Total solids . . . 


3066.47 lb. . 


. breed rank. 


ninth 


Value solids . . . 


$275.98 


. breed rank. 


ninth 



Dutch Belted milk will test from 4,5 to 5 per cent fat. 

The Dutch Belted as beef producers can hardly be regarded as 
superior to the dairy breeds and no doubt will not compare favor- 
ably with the Holstein-Friesian. They lack the size of the latter 
and do not show the tendency to produce flesh so characteristic 
of some Holstein-Friesians. Owing to the comparative scarcity 
of the Dutch Belted, one finds almost no steers of the breed on 
the market. A circular of a Connecticut breeder contains a picture 
of ten steers trained to work as five pairs of oxen one pair of 
which at four years of age weighed 3200 pounds. 

Dutch Belted crossbreds or grades inherit the striking charac- 
teristics of the pure-bred sire. Says one breeder : 

Crossed on cattle of any solid color they almost invariably produce the 
belt, though if the dam be a Devon the calf may be red at the ends ; or if the 
dam is a Shorthorn, the calf may be red or roan. But the belt of the pure 
white is there, nevertheless. 

An interesting example of this intensity of Dutch Belted pre- 
potency took place in the herd of the Ohio State University. 
A cow of this breed, to the service of a pure-bred Jersey bull, 
dropped a crossbred calf with a white blanket about the body, 
quite similar to that of the dam excepting for one small black 
spot on the white covering. 

1 Dutch Belted Cattle Bitllet/it, April, 191 6. 



432 



CATTLE 



The distribution and adaptability of Dutch Belted cattle is com- 
parable with the other Dutch type, bred to thrive on abundant 
food under rather favorable conditions. However, some of the 
more prominent herds of America have been located in Canada 
and New England, where the winters are severe and long. No 
doubt the more fertile lowlands of the Mississippi Valley, and espe- 
cially the Southern states with their milder climatic conditions, 
would prove most favorable for the development of the breed. 




Fig. 190. Dutch Belted cattle on pasture, Valley Farm, Warwick, New York. 
From photograph, by courtesy of the American Agriculturist 



The distribution of Dutch Belted cattle has grown materially in 
recent years, although the breed has a very small representation 
in Holland and is but little known in America. However, they 
have representatives in nearly every one of our American states, 
while in some instances as many as twenty herds may be found. 
The largest herds are in the Nevv' England States and in New York, 
Michigan, and Indiana. These cattle have also been exported to 
Canada, Cuba, Brazil, Mexico, France, Austria, Germany, Spain, 
Portugal, South Africa. 

The promotion of the Dutch Belted breed is supervised by the 
Dutch Belted Cattle Association of America, organized Febru- 
ary 4, 1886, in New York City. Volume I of the herdbook was 



THE DUTCH BELTED 433 

pi.blished the same year, containing the registration of 46 males 
and 177 females, mainly owned in New York, with others scat- 
tered throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, 
Illinois, and South Carolina. The last volume of the herdbook, 
numbered XI, was published in 19 17. This volume brought the 
registration of males up to 1250 and females up to 2500. 

The popularity of Dutch Belted cattle has been based upon the 
peculiar color combination and the picturesque effect of the same, 
as seen in a group of animals on pasture. From a producing 
point of view, as a dairy type the Dutch Belted has little to offer 
in its behalf. Taking size and feeding capacity into consideration, 
this breed without doubt makes a much poorer showing than any 
other. However, there seems no reason why, through judicious 
breeding and selection, a line of producers of real merit should 
not be established that would largely dispel adverse criticism. 



CHAPTER XXXVI 

THE FRENCH CANADIAN 

The native home of French Canadian cattle is in the province 
of Quebec, Canada. The country is somewhat undulating and 
rough, though not mountainous, and excellent crops of grass, oats, 
barley, potatoes, and roots are grown. The winters are rather 
long and cold, with much snow, the summers short and cool. 

The origin of the French Canadian breed of cattle is claimed to be 
from stock brought to Quebec, Canada, by the early French settlers, 
at some time prior to 1665. Professor Thomas Shaw states ^ 
that these cattle were introduced to Quebec as early as 1620, and 
that no other cattle were brought into the colony prior to 1776. 
While no specific information is at hand as from just what part 
of France these cattle came, it is presumed that it was Brittany, 
and perhaps Normandy, as the original settlers of Quebec came 
from those French provinces. The French Canadian breed, how- 
ever, resembles the cattle of Brittany much more than those of 
Normandy. In an address before a committee of the Canadian 
Parliament, Professor J. H. Grisdale said^ that up to 1850 they 
were about the only cattle in Quebec except for a few herds of 
Ayrshires and Shorthorns. In 1853 the Council of Agriculture 
began to discourage farmers from breeding these cattle. This suc- 
ceeded so well that by 1880 " there was hardly a P>ench Canadian 
in the Province that thought enough of his cow to give her more 
attention than he would a dog." Then it was that two or three 
public-spirited men began to endeavor to save the breed from 
extinction by starting a breed association. 

Characteristics of French Canadian cattle. In type there is 
considerable resemblance to the Channel Island breeds, especially 
the Jersey. The color is solid black or black with a yellow fawn 
stripe along the back and around the muzzle, brown-brindle, or 

1 The Study of Breeds in America (1900), p. 133. 

2 Rural iVezv Yorker, January 8, 1910. 

434 



THE FRENCH CANADIAN 



435 



brown with black points. This fawn ring is very distinctive of 
the breed. The black type of males is preferred. The Jwrns, 
which tend to be long, are generally curved outward and then in, 
with the tips turned toward each other. The color of horn is 
white with black tip. In size the mature female weighs from 700 
to 800 pounds and the bull about 1000. They often, however, 
weigh less than this. In general couforination one is impressed 




Fig. 191. A P'rench Canadian cow. An excellent example of the breed. From 
photograph, by courtesy of the American Agriculturist 

with a certain roughness and angularity of form, after the more 
angular Jersey type. In quality they show a mellow hide and a 
rich yellow skin notable for its high orange-yellow color within 
the ear and about the udder. A fine silky coat of hair is an im- 
portant indication of quality. " The chief points of these cattle," 
says C. N. Lepter of Quebec, " from a dairyman's point of view, 
are that they have large udders and teats placed far apart and 
pointing in front." 

The French Canadian cows as milk producers make a very fair 
showing. J. A. Couture of Quebec, writing regarding the dairy 
capacity of the breed, ^ states that the cow Pruniere 171 2 during 

1 American Agriculturist, February 25, 1899. 



436 CATTLE 

three hundred and eighteen days produced 1 1,310 pounds of milk, 
a daily average of over 35 pounds. This cow weighed about 675 
pounds- The cow Azilza de Levis 956 is credited with 8000 pounds 
in a year. An average yield of 5000 pounds is regarded as a 
standard. The only notable public test in which the breed has 
taken a part was that of the Pan-American Model Dairy at Buffalo 
in 1901. In this competition the French Canadians secured a 
medium rank among the ten breeds involved. In six months the 
five cows produced 25,656 pounds of milk which yielded 1180 
pounds of butter, on which a net profit of $181.81 was secured. 
In cost of butter per pound the French Canadian ranked third, at 
9.76 cents, Guernseys ranking first and Jerseys second. The cow 
Denise Championne I, in net profit of $40.63, ranked twenty-first 
among the fifty cows in the test. Rouen, another French Canadian 
cow, ranked twenty-second, there being little difference between the 
two. In fat content the milk from these cows tests somewhat in 
excess of 4 per cent, in the Pan-American trials averaging 4.04, 

The hardy character of French Canadian cattle is one of their 
strong features. They have vigorous constitutions, well adapted to 
the rigors of a Canadian winter, thriving, it is said, where other 
cattle would starve. The claim has been made by Canadian 
breeders that these cattle do not suffer from tuberculosis, but this 
may be doubted. French Canadians are especially suited to the 
rougher lands of upper New England and eastern Canada. 

The grazing qualities of French Canadian cattle rank very high, 
and the cows are said to yield large returns of milk on pasture 
alone. On poor pastures or hill farms they thrive better than 
the larger breeds. 

The maturing qualities of French Canadian cattle are inferior. 
This is largely due to the limited food and rigorous conditions of 
keeping. More abundant food and better care would improve the 
breed in this respect. 

The distribution of French Canadian cattle is mainly restricted 
to Quebec, where it is the principal breed in some twenty-five 
counties. Registered cattle are most bred in the counties of 
Berthier, Joliette, Drummond, Kamouraska, and LTslet. They 
are also found in a small way in the United States, in northern 
New York State, with a few isolated herds farther south. 



THE FRENCH CANADIAN 437 

The promotion of pure French Canadian cattle has been assisted 
by the legislature of Quebec and a breeding association. In 1886 
the legislature adopted rules for the registration of foundation stock, 
and until 1895 a herdbook was maintained. Animals of correct 
form and acceptably pure descent were eligible to registration. 
In 1895 the French Canadian Cattle Breeders' Association was 
organized and in September of that year assumed the control of 
all herdbook records. Since 1896 no animals have been or can 
be registered excepting the descendants of the foundation stock 
already recorded. Up to 191 7 two volumes of herdbooks have 
been published, showing the registration of 4215 animals. 



CHAPTER XXXVII 

THE KERRY 

The native home of Kerry cattle is in southwestern Ireland in the 
county of Kerry. This is one of the wildest and most picturesque 
sections of Ireland, with mountains rising above three thousand 
feet and with the famous Killarney lakes in the setting. The 
climate is moist and fairly temperate. Agricultural conditions are 
inferior. 

The origin of the Kerry is as uncertain as that of other British 
breeds. From time immemorial it has been bred in Ireland, 
where it is known as the " poor man's cow." The opinion of 
British students is that this is a descendant from the smaller type 
of aboriginal cattle of that country, of the same character as the 
dark-colored cattle of Britain. Nothing more is known. The 
development of the breed has mainly rested with the Irish farmers 
or tenants, who keep but small herds. 

The introduction of the Kerry to America was probably first made 
in 1859 by Sanford Howard of Boston, Massachusetts, who im- 
ported for Arthur W. Austin a bull and five two-year-old heifers. 
In i860 he imported a second bull, the first having died, and 
two heifers. Since that period Kerry cattle have been imported 
to the United States in a small way up to the present time. 

Characteristics of Kerry cattle. This is a distinct dairy type 
breed, with the following special characteristics : The color should 
always be a solid black, with no white on the body in case of the 
bull ; with the cow a slight amount of white on the udder or under- 
line, while undesirable, does not disqualify. The lean head of the 
cow carries upstanding, slender white horns with black tips, 
which often turn back ; the bull's horns are shorter than those of 
the cow, but are commonly erect, with the tips turned back. The 
neck is slender and long, the withers fine, the back strong and 
well carried, the depth of body only moderate, the rump tending 
to be somewhat sloping, the thighs muscular, and the legs slender 

438 



THE KERRY 



439 



and comparatively long. The udder is frequently large for the 
size of the cow, but tends to have a poor front development. In 
si::e the Kerry is one of the small breeds, and when in breeding 
condition the bull should not weigh over one thousand pounds 
nor the cow over nine hundred pounds. The temperament of the 
Kerry is distinctly nervous, yet, when well cared for, these cattle 
are quiet and easily handled. 

The maturing characteristics of Kerry cattle are secondary. 
As bred in Ireland, due to inferior care, they are slow to develop, 
producing the first calf 
later than other breeds. 
This slowness of ma- 
turity is overcome to 
a considerable degree 
under proper condi- 
tions of care and feed- 
ing, and in America 
earlier maturity may 
generally be expected 
than in Ireland. 

The hardy charac- 
ter of Kerry cattle is 
one of its distinctive 
features. During the 
entire year it is nec- 
essary for the Irish 
cotter's cow to adapt 

herself to conditions of privation, including the inclemency of 
winter. No breed has a more robust constitution or is less 
subject to common diseases than is the Kerry in Ireland. 

The prepotency of Kerry cattle is very marked. Being of an 
ancient breed, long bred pure, it transmits its color and physical 
characteristics in a marked degree. 

The Kerry in crossbreeding is essentially of value in improving 
common dairy stock. Kerry bulls from high-yielding cows, bred 
to ordinary cows, should sire a class of heifers possessing vigor- 
ous constitutions, showing a uniformly black color and cap?ble of 
producing a good yield of superior milk at minimum cost. 




P"lG. 192. La Mancha My Mistake (344), a prize- 
winning Kerry bull at the show of the Royal Agri- 
cultural Society of England. Owned by R. Tait 
Robertson, Malahide, Ireland. From photograph 
by the author 



440 CA'I'l'LE 

The grazing value of the Kerry is very high. This breed has 
been developed under adverse food conditions and thrives on com- 
paratively poor rations. It well serves the purpose of furnishing 
the poor Irish laborer a maximum of return for a minimum of 
expenditure. 

The Kerry as a milk producer ranks well, considering her size 
and cost of production. Messrs. William and James McDonald, 
reporting on the Kerry cattle shown at the Paris Exposition in 
1878, state that twelve quarts of milk daily during the season and 
from six to seven pounds of butter a week are the estimated 
yield of a Kerry cow, and that cows have been known to give 
sixteen quarts every day for some time after calving. (3nly in 
recent years have any systematic efforts been made to keep milk 
or butter-fat records of these cows. In 1905 Professor James Long 
wrote as follows, relative to official trials ^ : 

If we take the milking trials at the National Dairy Show at Islington, and 
travel over a number of years, we find that in one year eight Kerries averaged 
36 pounds, or more than 3! gallons of milk per day, this milk containing 
3.33 per cent fat. In another year twelve Kerries averaged 25! pounds of 
milk per day, this milk containing the large proportion of 4.33 per cent of fat, 
while the solids not fat reached 9.2 per cent. Again, in a third year, seven 
Kerries averaged 33I pounds of milk, containing 3.69 per cent fat. In two 
other years the averages of ten cows in each year were 27^ pounds of milk 
and 33 pounds of milk, the fat percentage in one case 4.36, and in the other 4.26. 

In official tests in 19 16 and 191 7 in Ireland, under the super- 
vision of the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instmc- 
tion for Ireland, records ranged from 4812 pounds of milk as a 
minimum to 8124 pounds as. a maximum yield, forty-five weeks 
being the extreme period of lactation. The butter-fat percentage 
ranged from 3.4 to 4.9, the average being 4 per cent. F'rom what 
the author has seen of these cattle in Ireland he believes the Kerry 
to be a milk-producing breed of much promise under a judicious 
system of breeding and selection. 

The distribution of the Kerry is not general ; even in Ireland, 
where it is best known, the Shorthorn is the leading breed. There 
are a number of excellent Kerry herds in England, but very few 
of these cattle have been imported to America. There are small 

1 Ag)'iciihii7-al Gazette (London), .August 21, 1905. 



THE KERRY 



441 



herds in Australia and South Africa. In the United States the 
principal herds are in New York, Missouri, and Minnesota. 

Organizations for the promotion of Kerry cattle have been in 
existence for some years. In 1887 a register was started in 
Ireland by the owners of the Farmers Gazette of Dublin, which 
was taken over by the Royal Dublin Society after the publication 
of three volumes of herdbooks. In 1890 this society issued the 
first volume of the "Kerry and Dexter Herdbook," and has 




1-'k;. lyj. Kerry cows on pasture on the estate of the iJuke of Lcinstcr, Maynooth, 
Ireland. From photograph by the author 



continued doing so up to date. Seventeen volumes of the Irish 
herdbook have been published, containing the total entry up to 
191 8 of 871 Kerry bulls and 2658 cows. An English Kerry and 
Dexter Cattle Society, with headquarters in London, was estab- 
lished in 1892 and has published eighteen herdbooks, containing 
a total entry to 19 17 inclusive of 392 Kerry bulls and 2098 cows. 
In 19 1 7 an Irish Kerry and Dexter Cattle Society was organized 
in Ireland to promote the welfare of the breed. In 191 1 an 
American Kerry and Dexter Cattle Club was organized, but thus 
far has published no herdbook. Up to 1920 but 16 bulls and 
61 cows have been recorded, and to this date no important herd 
of Kerry cattle has been established in the United States. 



CHAPTER XXXVIII 



THE DEXTER 



The native home of the Dexter is in the southern part of 
Ireland and in the same region as that of the Kerry. 

The origin of the Dexter is quite obscure. The common as- 
sumption lias been that this breed is a cross between the Kerry 

and some other breed, 
perhaps the Devon. 
The opinion expressed 
by Professor James 
Wilson 1 is that this is 
a short-legged offshoot 
from the Kerry, due 
to crossing with the 
Devon. It has also 
been repeatedly claimed 
that "a Mr. Dexter," 
who at one time was 
agent of Lord Hawar- 
den, is responsible for 
this Irish breed, which 
for some time was 
known as the Dexter- 
Kerry, but which now 
is classed by organizations promoting these cattle in Great Britain 
and America as a distinct and separate breed from the Kerry. 

The introduction of the Dexter to America probably occurred 
long ago, when no discrimination was made between Kerry and 
Dexter in importations. Perhaps two hundred Dexters were im- 
ported to the United States between 19 lo and 191 5, a large 
percentage of which were brought over by Elmendorf l^^uiri of 



El ' 






W > ''''^3a^_, 




y^ 


if ^ 


w 


Wt 


hBh {j^-^'-' '•* "^ ■ ...^v 




Jv 


^^w^Sji'' t.uiiKi|ifrf 




'^* " - 


pSyy^.^ ^ 













Jiu. ly.j. l.u .Manclia L'niun Jack (37), a nulcd 

prize-winning red Dexter bull. From photograph 

by the author 



1 The F.volution of British Cattle and the Fashioning of Breeds. London, 1909. 

442 



THE DEXTER 



443 



Kentucky, Howard Gould of New York, and James J. Hill of Min- 
nesota, none of whom are now maintaining herds of these cattle. 

The characteristics of the Dexter. In Great Britain the Dexter 
is regarded as a diminutive dual-purpose breed, although in the 
United States the beef side is given scant consideration. The 
essential characteristics are found in the head, short legs, small 
size, and color. The Jiead is old-fashioned in a degree, tending 




Fig. 195. Harley Coy (1655), ^ remarkably fine example of a Dexter cow at full 

maturity. Champion cow at the Royal Agricultural Society Show. Owned by 

R. Tait Robertson, Malahide, Ireland. From photograph by the author 

toward plainness and crowned with more or less black-tipped, 
upright horns. The head of the bull is burly and short and the 
horns often extend directly out to each side and then make a 
wide curve forward and upward, with considerable space between 
the tips. The neck is moderately short and muscular, the witJiers 
show a dual-purpose thickness, the back is usually strongly sup- 
ported, the depth of body and digestive capacity is comparatively 
great, the tail head is often prominent, the hind qnarters suggest 
the dual-purpose type (more especially with the bull), the legs are 
very short, and the udder on mature cows frequently indicates 
great capacity for animals of such small size. 



444 



CATTLE 



The color of the Dexter is very generally a solid black, although 
pure reds are also recognized and are not uncommon. The Irish 
regard either color as of equal merit. White marks are permis- 
sible on the udder and on the belly up to the navel, though not 
outside of the flanks. The brush of the tail may also contain 
more or less white. No whitfe markings are favored on the bull, 
although a slight amount on the scrotum or sheath will not dis- 
qualify. The horns are usually white with black tips, while the nose 
and hoofs may be either white or dark as the animal is black or red. 




Fig. 196. A herd of Dexter females, first in class, exhibited by Howard Gould, 
New York, at the New York State Fair. From photograph by Smith & Holmes 



The size of the Dexter places it among the smallest of British 
breeds. In mature form the standard weights are 900 pounds as 
a maximum for the bull and 800 for the cow when in breeding 
condition. Some very beautiful specimens of cows that scarcely 
weigh over 500 pounds are seen at British shows. One of the 
noted bulls of the breed — La Mancha Union Jack — stood only 
about 38 inches high and probably weighed less than 500 pounds. 
In view of the fact that the Dexter has largely been sought on 
account of its diminutive size the tendency among breeders has 
been to emphasize that feature. Where breeding is conducted under 
conditions of plenty there is a tendency towards increase in size. 

The hardy character of the Dexter is one of its outstanding 
features. In its native home, like the Kerry, it lives largely in the 



THE DEXTER 



445 



open, under rather rigorous conditions, and tubercular and other 
diseases due to close housing are quite uncommon. 

The crossbred Dexter, especially with beef stock, meets with 
much favor in the British market. The use of Aberdeen-Angus 
or Shorthorn bulls on Dexter cows has produced some very beau- 
tiful small carcasses of beef. The author has seen some of these 
crosses in Ireland that, although small, represented high-class beef 
animals, indicating very superior killing quality. So highly is this 
kind of crossbreeding regarded in England that special classes 
for these small carcasses are 
provided at the Smithfield Club 
Fat-Stock Show. 

The Dexter as a milk pro- 
ducer has considerable merit. 
There are many records for 
these little cows, of 4000 to 
6000 pounds of milk produced 
within a year and this on just 
ordinary care. In Ireland, how- 
ever, official testing of Dexter 
cows has only just begun. 
During the years 19 16 and 
191 7 twenty-four cows were 
under test as sufiervised by 
the Department of Agricul- 
ture and Technical Instruction 

for Ireland, covering periods of lactation ranging from thirty-three 
to forty-five weeks. The smallest annual yield was 4555 pounds 
during a period of thirty-six weeks, testing an average of 4.1 per 
cent fat, while the largest yield was 8 1 24 pounds during forty-five 
weeks, testing 3,7 per cent fat. The Castlegould herd of Howard 
Gould in New York State produced a number of excellent records, 
one cow — Slane Clara — having a record of 9046 pounds, testing 
4.26 per cent fat. Dexter milk averages about 4 per cent fat. 

The prices paid for Dexter cattle are comparatively small. As 
the breed is quite limited in number the demand is also limited. 
These cattle may be bought in Ireland for approximately $150 a 
head, with a fair selection at this price, although show animals 




Fig. 197. A Dexter cow of dual-purpose 
type on the pasture of the Royal Agri- 
cultural College, Cirencester, England. 
From photograph by the author 



446 CATTLE 

naturally command a higher figure. While Americans have im- 
ported several hundred Dexters, as a rule the prices paid have 
been modest. In a pamphlet on these cattle published by the 
Kerry and Dexter Cattle Society of Ireland in 191 8 it is stated 
that the prices vary from $125 to ^350, according to age and 
quality. 

The distribution of the Dexter extends over Ireland, with a 
few select herds in England. The 19 18 volume of the English 
Kerry and Dexter herdbook records thirty-one herds in England. 
Dexter cattle have been exported to South Africa, Australia, 
and other British colonies. In 19 19 there were Dexter herds 
in Vermont, New York, Kentucky, Missouri, Texas, Illinois, Wis- 
consin, and Minnesota. A number of herds are kept in Canada. 

The official promotion of Dexter cattle is supervised by several 
associations. The Faruicrs' Gazette of Dublin, Ireland, instituted 
a herdbook, the first volume of which appeared in 1887. Later 
the Royal Dublin Society took over this work and since 1890 
has published the records. The English Kerry and Dexter Cattle 
Society was founded in 1892 and up to 1919 has issued nineteen 
herdbooks, which show a total of 639 bulls and 2544 cows regis- 
tered. In 191 7 there was organized at Killarney, Ireland, the 
Kerry and Dexter Cattle Society of Ireland, " to maintain the 
purity and promote the breeding of Kerry and Dexter cattle in 
Ireland." The American Kerry and Dexter Cattle Club, organ- 
ized in July, 191 1, serves the purpose of registration and transfer 
and aims to promote the welfare of the breed. Up to 1920 the 
club has registered fifty-five bulls and two hundred and forty- 
six females. 



CHAPTER XXXIX 

DUAL-PURPOSE TYPE OF CATTLE 

Dual-purpose and general-purpose type of cattle mean the same 
thing. This comes in between the beef and dairy type, combining 
in one animal the valuable qualities of meat and dairy types. 
This class has been under special discussion for some years, and 
strong arguments have been advanced in its behalf. It is not 
proposed to go into a detailed discussion of this type, — it is not 
necessary, — but rather to emphasize the essential features. 

The dual-purpose and beef type compared show marked differ- 
ences. The dual-purpose animal is narrower of body and scarcely 
as well rounded as the beef type, does not naturally carry so much 
" condition," is more lean of neck, sharper at withers, narrower at 
the thighs, and longer of leg than is common with true beef cattle- 
One receives the impression that relatively the dual-purpose type 
is of greater length. In the case of the cows the udder is most 
essential in good specimens of the dual-purpose type, milk pro- 
duction being of special importance. 

Dual-purpose and dairy type compared show the former to be 
fuller in the breast, thicker at withers, broader backed, thicker 
and heavier at the hind quarter and twist, and generally more mas- 
sive than the latter. The form is somewhat smoother and less 
muscular, the tendency being towards higher condition. When 
in high milk flow dual-purpose cows often lose flesh and incline 
to the dairy conformation, but when dry they usually flesh up to 
a marked degree. The writer has seen dual-purpose cows that 
have been regarded as dairy-type animals by men rated as good 
critics. It is difficult, in fact, to draw the line between these 
types in cases of certain individuals that vary according to their 
condition, when each tends to approach the other in conformation. 
For example, the American Brown Swiss Cattle Association has 
classed this as a dairy breed, yet if one is to judge the Brown 
Swiss as seen either in its native home or America, it will be 

447 



448 CATTLE 

difficult to classify a large percentage of the animals other than of 
dual-purpose type. 

Two classes of dual-purpose cattle are common — one rather 
beefy in character, with inferior udders, the other lean and mus- 
cular, with strong dairy-type indications. Every large show of 
dual-purpose breeds contains good representations of these two 
classes. For example, the Devon, a dual-purpose breed, contains 
the two classes in a marked degree. The dairy sort is more 
popular in the Eastern states, the beef in the West. The same 
applies to a certain extent also to the Red Polled breed, though 
perhaps not to so great a degree as with the Devon. In the 
Shorthorn breed we have the most approved beef type of cattle, 
while a dual-purpose type of Shorthorn, with strong dairy ten- 
dencies, is very common in England and not rare in America. 
In 1914 the writer watched the judging of the dairy Shorthorns 
at the Royal Agricultural Society of England Show at Shrews- 
bury, said to have been up to that time the largest exhibit of this 
class ever seen. Here the animals placed first and second were 
beautiful large beefy-looking cows with udders of great size and 
apparent capacity. On one occasion the secretary of the dairy 
branch of " Coates's Herdbook," in reply to an inquiry as to 
just what was most desirable in a milking Shorthorn, replied that 
he wished as much natural beef conformation as possible, coupled 
with great milk-producing capacity. That should logically be the 
aim, and the policy of some breeders to emphasize a type of 
dual-purpose cattle that are in fact true dairy cattle is neither 
consistent nor desirable. Such breeders might better center their 
interest on dairy cattle altogether if they are unwilling to give 
due recognition to beef values. By combining beef and milk in 
a really noteworthy degree the dual purpose is secured. Minus 
the one or the other the animal must be classed with the beef 
or dairy type. Many farmers greatly prefer a type of cow pro- 
ductive of a liberal supply of milk, that will fatten easily to meet 
the demands of the butcher, and will also produce calves which 
will feed into superior veals or steers. In regions where dairying 
is not a specialty the dual-purpose type is quite commonly seen in 
the Shorthorn of milking strain. Notwithstanding the frequency 
with which cattle of this type are seen, there are comparatively 



DUAL-PURPOSE TYPE OF CATTLE 



449 



few animals of the dual-purpose breeds to be found in America. 
During the last few years, however, there has been a greatly 
increased activity in the demand for cattle of this type in both 
America and Great Britain, and many animals have changed 
hands at good values. Certainly the excellent records made by 
cattle of this type will greatly promote their future popularity 
and usefulness. 



CHAPTER XL 

THE RED POLLED 

The native home of Red Polled cattle is in England, in the 
counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, which border the North Sea and 
comprise the most easterly part of England. The country is roll- 
ing, with some marsh lands, and furnishes good grazing and 
live-stock conditions, although parts of Norfolk have poor, thin 
land. The climate is fairly temperate and moist — characteristic 
of England, 

The origin of Red Polled cattle is differently interpreted by 
live-stock writers. Culley thought them descended from the Gal- 
loway type and was the first to suggest this source, although the 
two breeds " materially differ. Others have attributed the ancestry 
to the wild white-polled sort. Mr. Euren, the organizer of Red 
Polled interests abroad, has suggested that the breed was derived 
from the polled cattle of southern Europe — for example, Hun- 
gary or central Russia, where cattle possessed the soft satiny skin 
of the Red Polled — rather than from the Galloway, with its heavy, 
long coat and thicker hide. The fact is the breed has developed, 
like other British breeds, from material which passes beyond 
historical record. We do know, however, that the present-day 
Red Polled breed consists of an amalgamation of the following 
two types or varieties : 

I. Suffolk Red Polled. The county of Suffolk lies just south 
of Norfolk. The northeast part, sometimes designated as East 
Anglia, was settled in the fifth century by Scandinavians, and it is 
stated that they brought cattle with them. In this section of Suf- 
folk, only twelve by twenty miles, and later in the entire county, 
as well as in Norfolk, developed a polled breed that became 
famous for milk production. In 1734 John Kirby, in the Suffolk 
Traveler, wrote of the butter produced in this district as "the 
best and pleasantest in England." These cattle were small, natu- 
rally thin of flesh, either red, brindled, or dun-colored, and always 

450 



THE RED POLLED 



451 



polled. In 1794 Arthur Young, in a general survey of the agri- 
culture of Suffolk, describes the breed at some length. He stated 
that for two or three months a whole herd would average five gal- 
lons of milk a day per head, and single animals have produced 
eight gallons in a day. From 1778 on, numerous advertisements 




Fig. 198. Teddy's Best 17603, a noted Red Polled bull, thirty-two times a cham- 
pion up to 1919. Noted also as a sire. Owned by Jean Du Luth Farms, Nickerson, 
Minnesota. From photograph by Hildebrand, by courtesy of Jean Uu Luth Farms 

of auction sales of this dairy stock were published in the Norwich 
(Norfolk) Mercury. In 1802 a herd of "twenty-one beautiful 
polled cows and a bull " was advertised. 

2. Norfolk Red Polled. In Norfolk County early writers 
referred to a type of cattle blood red in color, with a white or 
mottled face, having horns, and small of bone, '" fattening as freely 
and finishing as highly at three years old as cattle do generally 
at four or five," says Marshall, who regarded the Norfolk Red 
Polled as a miniature Hereford in appearance. These possessed 
poor dairy qualities, so Jonas Reeve of Wigtown and Richard 
England of Binham began to improve and secure a type com- 
bining the good qualities of the Suffolk as well as the Norfolk. 



452 



CATTLE 



A Mr. George also took part in this improvement. They bred 
to produce a sohd red color (perhaps using the Devon, which 
existed in the county), bred off the horns (no doubt with the lielp 
of Suffolk bulls), and so developed a dual-purpose type which 
attained considerable fame. In 1818 the name " Norfolk Polled " 
began to come into use. 

The amalgamation of Suffolk and Norfolk Red Polled cattle 
was the result of gradually developing the two breeds into a 
common type. Each was improved with the view of securing 

an easy-keeping, horn- 
less, red-colored, dual- 
purpose animal. The 
types of each county 
were shown for a time 
at the local fairs, but 
they gradually came 
to be of the same gen- 
eral character. The 
year 1846, according to 
Mr. Euren, late secre- 
tary of the Red Polled 
Cattle Association in 
England, may be 
taken as the date from 
which the Norfolk 
and Suffolk varieties 
merged into each other 
so as to be spoken of as one and the same breed. Finally, in 
1862, an international exposition was held at Battersea, when a 
large exhibit was made in one class from both Norfolk and Suf- 
folk. It was then that the improved form in each county was 
recognized as of the same kind and given the name " Norfolk 
and Suffolk Red Polled." About 1882 this was shortened to 
" Red Polled," by which name the breed is now recognized. 

The introduction of Red Polled cattle to America no doubt 
first occurred in colonial times in Itnglish settlements, as, for 
example, in Virginia. Mulley, or polled cattle, of a red or red- 
and-white color, similar to Red Polled, have been known in the 




Fig. 199. Jean Du Luth Bryson 26512, a Red Polled 

bull owned by Professor H. C. Price, Newark, Ohio. 

From photograph by the author 



THE RED POLLED 



453 



eastern United States for over a century. In 1 847 the captain of the 
vessel Jajjivstoti';/ , that took provisions to Ireland to reheve famine, 
received the gift of a Suffolk polled heifer from a Mr. Jeffries, 
living near Cork, as an expression of appreciation, and she was 
brought to Massachusetts. From her descended a line of stock, 
termed Jamestown cattle in Massachusetts, that produced polled 
animals of superior character. In 1873 G. F. Taber of Patterson, 
New York, made the first importation of breeding Red Polled 
cattle to this country, consisting of a bull and three heifers and 
later, in 1875, four more cows and, again, in 1882 three bulls 
and twenty-three heifers. In 1882 Mead & Kimball of Vermont 
brought over a bull and eleven females, and in 1883 G. P. Squires 
of New York and Geldard & Busk, an English firm, made impor- 
tations. In 1886 J. McLain Smith of Ohio made his first importa- 
tion, and until his death, in 1905, he was a prominent advocate of 
the breed. Captain V. T. Hills, also of Ohio, a leading American 
authority on the breed, imported in 1887. During the last of the 
nineteenth century and up to 19 18 very few Red Polled cattle 
were imported to the United States. 

Red Polled characteristics. Animals of this breed present the 
dual-purpose type in its truest form, for good specimens yield 
milk liberally and fatten satisfactorily on drying off, producing 
a good grade of beef. The /lead is lean in type and presents the 
characteristic poll. The top of the head should show the true 
poll, and any scurs, or evidence of horny growth, will disqualify. 
The poll of the bull is not so sharply pointed as with the cow. The 
neck of both bull and cow lacks the fullness of the beef breeds, 
the cows being notably thinner in this respect. The ivithcrs are 
only moderately broad, and the shoulders resemble those of the 
Shorthorn rather than the Hereford. The body is usually very 
well ribbed and the back strong, but is not fleshed over in a 
prominent degree. The hips lack prominence and cover easily 
in fattening. The Jiind quarter presents the thinner beef form, 
as shown in the leaner rump, thinner thigh, and shallower twist. 
The udder frequently is more or less pendant, the fore part 
commonly being deficient, while large teats are frequently seen, 
although in this latter particular the breed has improved in recent 
years. The udders are not commonly meaty with this breed, but 



454 



CATTLE 




rather are mellow and elastic. Fair inilk veins and wells occur ; in 
fact, Arthur Young, over a century ago, commented on the large 
size of the milk veins on the Suffolk cow. The quality of the 
Red Polled may be classed as fair. 

The color of the Red Polled varies from light to dark red, a 
medium shade being most common. The British standard of color 
is blood red, with a deep red for preference. The American 
standard of color, as adopted by the Red Polled Cattle Club of 
America in 1907, is as follows : Any shade of red. The switch 
of the tail and the udder may be white, with some white running 

forward to the navel. 
Nose of a clear flesh 
color. Interior of ears 
should be of a yellow- 
ish, waxy color. Ob- 
jectionable features of 
color, as based on the 
American scale of 
points, are an extreme 
dark or an extreme 
light red, and a cloudy 
nose or one with dark 
spots. The British as- 
sociation objects to any 
extension of white in 
front of the udder, any white on a bull except on tip of the tail, and 
a cloudy or dark nose. A blue or black nose, any white, excepting 
on the tip of tail, the udder, or " for a short way under the body," 
and any other color than red disqualifies a Red Polled in England. 
The size of the Red Polled is about medium. A number of weights 
of well-known animals of the breed are as follows : bulls — Pando 
1254 (mature), 2270 pounds ; Parole 19363 (at three years), 1975 
pounds; Proctor Knot 12083 (mature), 2050 pounds; Patriarch 
6482 (at three years), 2460 pounds; Demon 5421,3 noted show bull 
(mature), 2100 pounds; Wild Roy 1105 (mature), 2480 pounds ; 
Dasher 13481 (mature), 2130 pounds; Curies' 22d 20245 (at 
fourteen months), 920 pounds. Cows — 24888 Pear, 1440 pounds ; 
28400 Pattie, 1500 pounds; 28991 J. D. Pear, 1400 pounds; 



Red 



Fig. 200. 10097 Cliliic ill). s< 1 - '< 
Polled cow at the International Live-Stock Expo- 
sition, 1903. Owned by the late J. McLain Smith, 
secretary of the Red Polled Cattle Association. 
From photograph by the author 



THE RED POLLED 455 

1 1084 Claribel 3d (mature form), 1200 pounds ; 14001 The Nun 
(mature), 1650 pounds; 31725 Beauty (mature), 1750 pounds; 
6643 Pochahontas (mature), 1600 pounds; 2694 Chic (mature), 
1670 pounds. An average weight for mature bulls is about 1800 
to 2000 pounds and for cows approximately 1250 to 1500 pounds. 

Red Polled cattle as beef producers hold very good rank. 
While as a rule they do not win the highest honors in open 
competition in the great beef-show rings, they feed to a point 
of profitable production for the stockman and make a very good 
class of beef for the consumer. This beef is not usually so fat 
as that produced by some breeds, the outside of the frame not 
being so heavily covered. Red Polled steers also tend to be 
somewhat long of leg. Numerous cases may be cited to show 
that the steers gain rapidly and show well. At the 1889 Smith- 
field Club Show two Red Polled two-year-old steers showed the 
largest daily gain of anything on exhibition of that class, namely, 
2.18 and 2.29 pounds each. One of these afterwards was made 
champion as the best steer on exhibition at the Norfolk Fat- 
Stock Show. At the Smithfield show in 1890 a Red Polled steer 
dressed 73.72 per cent, the highest per cent dressed out at the 
show. This, however, is an extreme figure. Each year at the 
International Live-Stock Exposition at Chicago there has been 
a small exhibit of Red Polled steers, too many of which brought 
discredit to the breed, being inferior in conformation and in low 
condition. From year to year there have been one or two Red 
Polled steers in the International carcass contests. Eleven two- 
year-old steers, covering the years 1904 to 19 16, showed live 
weights ranging from 1188 to 16.80 pounds, dressed weights of 
774 to 1087 pounds, and per cent of carcass to offal of from 
61.41 to 68.71. Red Polled steers in good flesh on the open 
market bring a fair price. 

Red Polled cattle as milk producers have long held high rank, 
and a large number of records might be cited to show the value 
of the breed in the dairy. In public tests the breed has stood 
well. At the Pan-American dairy test in 1901 five Red Polled 
cows took fifth rank among ten breeds, showing a net profit of 
$201.61 for six months. Among the 50 cows tested, the cow 
8025 Mayflower 2d A12 stood second, producing 6 161 pounds 



456 CA'rn.E 

milk and 323 pounds estimated butter, showing a net profit in 
the fat test of $52.10. In recent years the breed has been making 
some very high-class milking records. One of the most noted 
Red Polled herds in England until recently was that of Lord 
Rothschild at Tring Park, where records of yearly production 
were kept. The average records between 1898 and 19 10, with a 




Fig. 201. 2965 Mayflower (A12), a Red Polled cow of dairy type, noted as the 
founder of the Mayflower family. This cow gave ii,oo8 pounds of milk from 
July 18, 1892, to July 10, 1893, and 43,1 i8i pounds of milk in four years from 
August I, 1890, to July 31, 1894. Owned by the late V. T. Hills, Delaware, Ohio. 
From photograph, by courtesy of Captain Hills 

herd numbering approximately 40 head, ranged from 6174 to 
71 16 pounds per cow. In 1903 fifteen herds contributed records 
of their daily milk yield to the " English Red Polled Society 
Herdbook." Of 267 cows which had produced in the year, having 
had their second calf or more, 194 gave a total yield for the year 
of 5000 pounds and over. Thirteen of these gave 9000 pounds 
and over, the best record being 10392 pounds. The cow 2965 
Mayflower A 12, in the herd of V. T. Hills of Ohio, produced 



THE RED POLLED 457 

from July 18, 1892, to July 10, 1893, a total of 11,008 pounds of 
milk ; while for four years, from August i, 1890, to July 31, 1894, 
she produced 43,1 i8l pounds of milk, or a daily average of about 
25 pounds. The London Live Stock Joiirnal'va 1898 published the 
milk record of a Red Polled cow of 13,126 pounds in three hun- 
dred and forty-seven days, an average of 37.82 pounds daily. This 
same journal also reports on the Red Polled cow Hester, that from 
October, 1890, to October, 1904, produced the remarkable yield of 
84,177 pounds of milk, an average yield for fourteen years of 
6012 pounds per year. Hester was also a very successful show 
cow in England. Among the more prominent herds in America 
is that of Jean Du Luth P"arms, in Minnesota, where official testing 
has been in progress for some years. In 191 3 twenty-four cows 
in the herd averaged for the year 7645.7 pounds of milk, and in 
19 1 4 a herd of the same size averaged 981 8.1 pounds. The 
largest annual milk record of a Red Polled cow to January, 191 8, 
is that of Jean Du Luth Beauty, producing 20,280.6 pounds, a 
wonderful showing, Jean Du Luth Pear in two years produced 
30,136.8 pounds of milk. The cow Pear has the most remarkable 
record, having in seven consecutive years produced 67,548.6 
pounds of milk, a yearly average of 9649.8 pounds. In 19 18 
the same cow had seven living daughters and one son in the 
herd where she is owned. 

Red Polled cattle as butter producers stand very well. Their 
milk tests about 3.8 per cent fat, although many cases show even 
better. The average of Mayflower for four years by Babcock test 
is 4.35 per cent butter fat. At the Pan-American Exposition the 
five Red Polled cows produced in six months 1319.45 pounds 
churned butter valued at $329.86, with Mayflower 2d second in 
the butter-fat test. In this test the average butter-fat content was 
3.98 per cent. In the Jean Du Luth herd the average annual 
yield of butter fat per cow in 1908 was 259 pounds; in 1909, 
257.8 pounds; in 1910, 264.9 pounds; in 1912, 268 pounds; in 
1913, 316.27 pounds; and in 1914, 403.5 pounds. The leading 
record in butter fat for a Red Polled aged cow is that of 31725 
Jean Du Luth Beauty, of 891,55 pounds of fat. The cow 31787 
Jean Du Luth Dorothy, in four-year form, produced 571.4 pounds 
fat, while the two-year-old heifer 34870 Jean Du Luth Lady 



458 CATTLE 

Watts gave a yield of 412.4 pounds of fat. 28991 Jean Du Luth 
Pear in two consecutive years produced 1253.58 pounds butter 
fat, while her dam 24888 Pear in seven consecutive years made 
3094.5 pounds of fat, or an annual average of 442 pounds. Fifty 
cows in the Jean Du Luth herd have official butter-fat records 
which average 468 pounds. Not many Red Polled cows, however, 
have official records of 400 or more pounds of butter fat in a 




Fig. 202. 31725 Jean Du Luth Beauty, one of the greatest producing Red Polled 
cows, with an official record of 20,280.6 pounds of milk and 891.55 pounds of fat 
in a year. Owned by Jean Du Luth Farms, Nickerson, Minnesota. From photo- 
graph, by courtesy of Jean Du Luth Farms 

year, and on the basis of published reports 300 pounds would 
make a very creditable showing for many herds of the breed. 
The use of the Red Polled cattle in crossing or grading may be 
beneficial from either the beef or dairy point of view. Red Polled 
bulls used on the beef type should increase the milk-producing 
character of the descendants, but may lower the meat standard 
somewhat. Used on the dairy breeds, the beef character should 
be improved in the offspring, but whether the dairy qualities will 
be benefited will depend on the kind of dam used, better results 
coming where a small milker rather than a large producer is 



THE RED POLLED 459 

mated. Red Polled cattle are very prepotent and will transmit 
their red color and polled heads with much uniformity when used 
on other breeds or grades. 

The temperament of Red Polled cattle tends to be of the ner- 
vous sort, as might be expected of a type midway between beef 
and dairy conformation. The disposition inclines to be less mild 
than with the Shorthorn, Jersey, or Holstein-Friesian, although 
the Red Polled responds readily to kindly treatment. However, 
the animals in average herds are less friendly and individuals 
are more easily excited than obtains with our prominent breeds. 

The prepotency of the Red Polled is very marked. One rarely 
sees much variation in color or character of poll in a herd of 
pure-bred Red Polled, or if changes do occur in these two par- 
ticulars, as a rule they may be attributed to the introduction 
of outside blood that has broken the normal line of breeding. 
Pure-bred bulls used in grade herds reproduce the notable breed 
characteristics in a marked degree. The following interesting 
evidence of Red Polled prepotency is quoted from " Bruni " in 
The Australasian, relative to the use of bulls of this breed on 
Shorthorn, Hereford, and Aberdeen-Angus cows : 

What was my surprise on seeing the young cattle of the Hereford-Red 
Polled cross at Warribee Park, to find the Hereford type almost obliterated. 
The horns are gone, the frame is that of a Red Polled, and, instead of the 
white face, there are only a few oddly shaped white blotches. But that no spot 
of white is seen on the dark red hide, save on the face, no one looking at them 
would suspect they had Hereford blood in their veins. 

The prolificacy of Red Polled cattle is probably above the 
average. Being naturally very hardy and active they reproduce 
readily. One will find in the records ample evidence of cows 
producing good-sized families. 5671 Lucretia 2d, on the Borden 
Stock F*arm in Illinois, between 1895 and 1905, produced ten 
calves. It is reported that the cow Ai Primrose dropped her last 
calf at twenty-six years of age. Mr. J. W. Martin, the most 
experienced of American Red Polled breeders, reports 3993 
Dorothy as having dropped thirteen calves up to fifteen years of 
age, and refers to 4589 Hemithea as heavy in calf at eighteen 
years of age. While these are extreme cases, they show something 
of the producing capacity within the breed. 



46o CATTLE 

Groups and tribes of Red Polled cattle gradually developed 
from the various lines of breeding. The first vcjlume of the herd- 
book classes the united breed into twenty-five groups of foundation 
stock, each indicated by a letter of the alphabet, as A, B, C, etc., 
these including numerous tribes or families. The first volume 
gave 233 tribes, and later these increased to 385, but at present 
only about 200 tribes are represented in the registration. While 
the group will remain the same in letter the tribes naturally vary 
in number. The method has an advantage in studying pedigrees, 
for with it the group and tribe relationship is shown. The groups 
made up certain foundation herds. P'or example, the A group 
comprises the cows in the Elmham herd or owned by tenants of 
the estate of that name ; the B group, the cows in the Biddell 
herds and others in the vicinity ; etc. Thus Ai refers to a founda- 
tion cow in the Elmham herd named Primrose ; Bio, to a cow in 
the Manfred Biddell herd named Bury ; etc. Differing from other 
cattle associations, the registration number of the cow precedes 
the name (as, 421 Primrose Ai), while the number of the bull 
follows his name in the customary manner. None of the above 
groups trace far back of the first volume of the herdbook, some 
being comparatively recent. 

Important tribes of Red Polled cattle. The factor that has 
played the largest part in giving distinction to a tribe of this breed 
has been milk production. This especially applies to the United 
States. The following may be regarded as the more notable 
tribes : Mayfloxvcr, descended from 2965 Mayflower, by Mason 
698 ; Dorothy, descended from 3993 Dorothy, by Falstaff 303 ; 
Pear, descended from 12789 Plum, by Didlington Dandy 2683 ; 
Popsey, descended from 9689 Popsey 3d, by Red Shirt 2014; 
Princess, descended from 2146 Davy Princess, by Davyson 
7th 476. 

Red Polled sires of note are not found in considerable number 
in the American history of the breed, and some through shrewd 
advertising have been given more credit than tlie records justify. 
An important reason why this list is short is that until compar- 
atively recently but little effort has been made to conduct official 
milk or butter-fat tests. Further, there are but few well-known 
herds that have been in continuous operation for many years. 



THE RED POLLED 461 

The following sires are among those best known : Falstaff 303 ; 
Troston 423 ; Wild Roy 1105 ; Pando 1254 ; Iowa Davyson 20th 
2773; The Ensign 3096; Corporal 4313, sire of Proctor Knott 
12092 and 24888 Pear, the most remarkable animals of the 
breed; Popular 8561 ; and Proctor Knott 12092, sire of ten 
daughters in the Advanced Registry with average records of 391.7 
pounds butter fat in a year. 

The distribution of Red Polled cattle is widespread, yet the 
breed cannot be regarded as common. In Britain it is mainly 
bred in Norfolk and Suffolk counties, although large herds exist 
elsewhere, and considerable milk is shipped to London from Red 









$mm 




tfN 




■8 


iSpi 




w 

mm 




■ 




^B 



Fig. 203. Red Polled cows cm pasture, Evergreen Farm, Newark, Ohio. From 
photograph by the author 

Polled herds. Specimens of the breed have been exported from 
England to Russia, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, 
and the United States. In the United States it is pretty well dis- 
tributed, mainly in the Mississippi Valley and as far south as 
Texas. The more prominent herds are found in Ohio, Wisconsin, 
Illinois, Minnesota, and Iowa. The breed is fairly well adapted to 
a wide range of climate, being, perhaps, best suited to temperate 
latitudes. 

Organizations to promote Red Polled cattle interests exist in 
England and the United States. Through the efforts of the late 
Henry F. Euren a herdbook was published in England in 1874, 
and this work he continued until 1888, when the Red Polled 
Society of England was organized. The American Red Polled 
Cattle Club was organized in 1883 at Chicago. In 1887 the 
first American herdbook appeared. This contained also the 



462 CATTLE 

registrations in the first six volumes of the EngHsh society. From 
that period, up to 1901 inclusive, the American herdbook also 
contained the registrations of the English book, thus including 
all Red Polled registrations in England and America. At present 
only American-owned animals are recorded in the American herd- 
book, which, up to 1 9 19, included thirty -one volumes and the 
registration of 85,250 animals. The promotion of the Red Polled 
in America has lacked the influence of progressive breeders willing 
to spend money to place these cattle prominently before the public. 
Comparatively little has been done thus far in the United States 
through official testing to show Red Polled capacity in milk and 
butter-fat production. But one herd stands out prominently in 
this work in America — that of Jean Du Luth P'arms. Most of 
the herds of the country are inactive in demonstrating the possi- 
bilities of the breed. One sees very little in American journals 
setting forth the merits of Red Polled cattle. In Great Britain, 
however, breeders are active in producing records, and British 
journals are at present giving much information concerning the 
same. Present-day publicity in both England and Ireland indicates 
a greatly increased interest in Red Polled cattle abroad. 



CHAPTER XLI 



THE BROWN SWISS 



The native home of Brown Swiss cattle is in northern and east- 
ern Switzerland, more especially in the section adjacent to Lake 
Lucerne, in the cantons of Lucerne, Schwyz, Uri, and Zug. This 
is a region combining beautiful valleys and high mountains. Dur- 
ing the winter the cattle are kept in the barns in the lowlands. 







V^.^.''-^-" 



., ./ LJ/" 

v- --x. •,f-^-- ,— •-.-TSt.Galleni 
• Lucerne.-''- J—' ; } L^, 



J ^^' Graubun 



s 



Fig. 204. A map of Switzerland showing the different cantons or provinces 

while in the summer they are pastured on meadows high up on 
the mountains. Many stables are located in small Swiss villages, 
and during the summer the cattle are each day driven out to pas- 
ture and are returned at night. This is a hardy mountain breed 
and in general subsists on pasture or hay, but very little grain 
being fed. 

The origin of Brown Swiss cattle is probably prehistoric. Horns, 
skulls, and other bones have been found in the Swiss lake dwell- 
ings, dating back to the Bronze Age, that closely resemble those 
of the Brown Swiss of to-day. It is generally conceded that the 
breed is very ancient and that it has long been bred with much 
purity and care by Swiss farmers. 

463 



464 



CATTLE 



The introduction of Brown Swiss cattle to America first occurred 
in 1869, when H, M. Clark of Belmont, Massachusetts, purchased 
of Colonel G. Biirgi of Arth, canton of Schwyz, seven heifers 
and one bull, which soon after their arrival were resold to 
D. G. Aldrich of Worcester, Massachusetts, and David Hall of 
Providence, Rhode Island. In 1882 Scott & Harris of Massachu- 
setts and Connecticut imported nine two-year-old heifers and a 
bull and in 1883 ten heifers. In 1884 William Koch of New York 




IM#4#P 



PJ:'.>U#.lll.iitM 



Fig. 205. A Swiss farm home near Lucerne. Photographed by Liit a 



imported five two-year-old heifers and a bull, and the same year 
Eldredge and Ryder of New York imported one three-year-old, 
ten heifers, and a bull. In 1890 E. M. Barton of Illinois imported 
fourteen head. In 1904 McLaury Brothers of New York *made 
an importation, from which they showed at the Louisiana Purchase 
Exposition at St. Louis. In 1906 E. M. Barton imported five 
bulls and thirty-four heifers, the largest importation in many years. 
Owing to the continual presence of foot-and-mouth disease in 
much of western Europe the United States government has not 
permitted importation in recent years. 

The characteristics of Brown Swiss cattle. This is essentially 
a dual-purpose breed of uniform and distinct breed character, 
although the Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders' Association of the 



THE BROWN SWISS 



465 



United States has classed it as a dairy breed. The author has 
spent some time in Switzerland among these cattle, and all the 
evidence there, as expressed by breeders and shown in the cattle, 
is that it is a dual-purpose breed. The goicral type of Brown 
Swiss cattle is distinctly blocky, the points being full from breast 
to hind quarters, showing thickness and depth. Breeders in Swit- 
zerland regard the cattle on the higher mountains as of a some- 
what lighter type than those of the lowlands. The head is rather 




Fig. 206. Tell, fifth-prize Brown Swiss bull at Zug, Switzerland, 1913. This bull 

scored 83.5 points. From photograph, by courtesy of Joseph Frey, secretary of 

Brown Swiss Cattle Association, Lucerne 



heavy and, combining as it does a sizable horn and a fullness of 
the neck quite unknown with British breeds, impresses one as 
somewhat coarse. The neek is large and heavy in both sexes at 
all ages, the skin about the throatlatch and along the dewlap being 
strikingly abundant. The breast is broad and deep, and the shoulders 
rather heavy and prominent, not being well laid in. The body 
shows a great deal of feeding capacity, with plenty of depth ; but 
the baek is frequently slack back of the withers, and the fore ribs 
have scarcely enough spring for best conformation. The hind 
qna7'ter is long, level, and broad at the rump, the thighs and tzvisi 



466 CATTLE 

incline to be distinctly beefy, and the legs are short and strong. 
The cows have large udders, frequently long, wide, and deep, with 
well-placed teats of convenient size. The milk veins and ivells 
average medium in size, comparing fairly with dairy breeds. The 
quality, from the standpoint of an American, averages rather 
below medium, as is very commonly seen in the thick, none too 
elastic, deep-yellow skin, rather coarse hair, large joints, and heavy 
head, neck, and fore quarters. In temperament cattle of this breed 
are superior, being especially quiet and docile. 

The color of the Brown Swiss, as indicated by the name, is 
brown, varying in shade. The color as approved by the Swiss 
breeders is given as follows ^ : 

The color of the animals of this race goes from dark brown and gray (the 
color of coffee and of chestnuts) to light brown and light gray. The opposite 
colors are mostly found among the animals of minor weight. At the present 
time the gray color prevails in all the different tints from light to dark. . . . 
According to the different parts of the body the color is more or less pro- 
nounced. All the animals have a muzzle of the color of lead, with a lighter 
rim all around. The underlip, the interior of the ears, the interior part of the 
limbs, especially the fore limbs, the udder, and the escutcheon are also lighter 
than the rest of the body. Generally these cattle have a stripe more or less 
light or broad on their backs, going from the withers to the tail, but this line 
is sometimes broken. 

At one time white spots occurred on Brown Swiss cattle, but since 
the middle of the nineteenth century animals with spots have been 
barred from exhibition unless the spots are on the lower part of 
the belly. The horns, which are comparatively short and curve 
forward and upward, have black tips. The hoofs are black and the 
tongue and muzzle are very dark. 

The size of Brown Swiss cattle varies according to type, whether 
light or heavy. The Swiss Union of Cattle Breeders gives the 
following as average weights at maturity: bulls, 1870 to 2090 
pounds; cows, 1320 to 1430 pounds. E. M. Barton, in a pam- 
phlet relative to his own herd, states that the average cow in a herd 
in milk weighs 1300 to 1400 pounds and 1500 fat. He also states 
that bulls in good condition weigh from 1700 to 2500 pounds. 
The latter weight, however, is rather exceptional, and mature bulls 

1 The Bovine Breed of Switzerland. A pamphlet published about 1906 by the 
Swiss Union of Cattle Breeders. 



THE BROWN SWISS 



467 



more commonly weigh from 1500 to 1800 pounds. The Brown 
Swiss Cattle Breeders' Association in the scale of points give no 
weight standards. It is thought by some that the two sexes more 
nearly approach each other in weight than with most breeds. 
The Brown Swiss in crossing or grading will do very well where 
mated with stock lacking in vigor, for this breed is of superior 
vigor and hardiness. No doubt many grade dairy herds of Jersey 
or Guernsey character would have vigor restored by a Brown Swiss 




Fig. 207. Rosi, gold-medal Brown Swiss cow at Lucerne, Switzerland, 191 1. 
From photograph by Richard Oehler, Lucerne 



cross, as well as a higher value from the butcher's point of view. 
At the Michigan Agricultural College Brown Swiss have been 
crossed on Red Polled, Jersey, and Holstein-Friesian grades, and 
in every case, says Professor R. S. Shaw, Swiss characteristics 
stand out prominently. Especial emphasis is given to the supe- 
riority of a carcass — the product of a Brown Swiss bull from 
a Red Polled cow — which weighed 1280 pounds as a yearling 
and dressed out 61 per cent. 

The prepotency of Brown Swiss cattle is very marked, which 
naturally would be the case, considering the length of time in 



468 



CATTLE 



which they have been bred under uniform conditions. In the 
essential characteristics of color and general conformation, pre- 
potency is very manifest. 

The adaptability of the Brown Swiss to a wide range of con- 
ditions seems apparent. The native home of these cattle is in the 
mountains, where they thrive on rations that would not be regarded 
as satisfactory in America, and where they are distinctly hardy. 
The herds kept in the more sterile sections of the eastern United 
States seem to thrive equally well with those in the corn belt 
of the West. No doubt they have a special place in dairy sections, 
notably in the more elevated regions, where a rugged breed is 

desirable. From the 
profit point of view 
it is doubtful if they 
can compete satisfac- 
torily with some of 
our other breeds in 
the fertile West. 

The Brown Swiss 
cattle in milk produc- 
tion make a remarka- 
bly creditable showing. 
Numerous records of 
Swiss dairies show comparatively large production for these cows. 
F. H. Mason, as United States consul in Switzerland, reports 
that at Cham the 6000 cows supplying the Anglo-Swiss Con- 
densed Milk Company yielded 5315 pounds each. These cows 
were milked for an average of about nine months and were fed 
only grass and hay. The average annual production of 72 herds 
in Switzerland, as published from records gathered by the Swiss 
Union of Cattle Breeders,^ shows an average yield of 4985.8 
kilos, or 10,969 pounds, with an average fat content of 3.88 per 
cent. The first recorded test of a Brown Swiss cow in America 
proved very sensational, for on this occasion the cow Brienz 
168, in November, 1891, at the American T'at-Stock Show, pro- 
duced 81.7 pounds of milk per day for three days, which con- 
tained a total of 9.32 pounds fat. For many years this was one 

1 The 15ovine Breeds of Switzerland, p. 20. 




Fig. 208. Waldi, second-prize Brown Swiss bull at 
Lucerne, 1913- From photograph by the author 



THE BROWN SWISS 



469 



of the notable milk and butter-fat records. In the Pan-American 
daily test in 1901 the 5 Brown Swiss cows stood third in total milk 
solids produced, eighth in net profit in fat, and fourth in pounds 
of milk produced, being surpassed in milk yield by the Holstein- 
Friesian, Ayrshire, and Shorthorn respectively. In net profit in 
the six-months test the highest rank attained by a Brown Swiss 




Fig. 209. College Bravura 2d, 2577, a Brown Swiss cow owned by the Michigan 

Agricultural College. She has an official record of 19,460.6 pounds of milk and 

798.16 pounds of fat, surpassing any other cow of the breed. From photograph, 

by courtesy of Michigan Agricultural College 



among 50 head of ten breeds was nineteenth, the cow Bell T. 
showing a net profit of $41.23 compared with $59.21 for the cow 
in first place, a Guernsey, Mary Marshall. At the Louisiana Pur- 
chase Exposition in 1904, in the dairy-cattle test the Brown Swiss 
averaged 42,2 pounds of milk daily, containing 1.6 pound fat, com- 
pared with 33.77 pounds milk and 1.20 pound fat at the Pan- 
American dairy test. The Louisiana Purchase cattle were, however, 
quite superior individuals to those in the Pan-American test. 



470 



CATTLE 



The Register of Production of Brown Swiss cattle was established 
in the year 191 1. "If the test commences with a cow the day she 
is two years and six months old, or previous to that time, she shall 
produce not less than 6000 pounds. For each day the animal is 
over two years and six months old at the beginning of the test, 
2.35 pounds of milk shall be added to the required amount. This 
ratio shall apply until the animal is six years old, when it will have 

reached 9000, which 
shall be the required 
amount for all mature 
cows." In butter fat 
222 pounds is the 
standard for the cow 
two and one-half years 
old, with an addition 
of .09 pound of fat 
daily until she is six, 
when 337 pounds be- 
comes the standard for 
all mature cows. There 
are five age classes for 
tested cows : two, three, 
four, five, and mature. Bulls are in two classes : A, with two 
accepted daughters from different dams, each bull scaling at least 
80 points ; and B, without being scaled but with four accepted 
daughters from different dams. The following are the ten most 
notable records in the Register of Production, to January i, 191 8 : 




Fig. 210. McAlpine, a prize-winning Brown Swiss 

cow owned by the late E. M. Barton, Hinsdale, 

Illinois. From photograph by the author 



Name and Number 



Age 

Class 



Pounds 
(Milk) 



Pounds 
(Fat) 



College Bravura 2d 2577 

101^3923 

Kalista W. 2905 .... 
Myone Baby 3378 . . . 
Merry Merney 3379 . . 

Ola B. 4348 

Upland Laura 2001 . . . 
Militia May 3542 . . . 

Merney 2859 

Merry of Allynhurst 4153 



Mature 
Five 

Mature 
Five 
Five 

Three 
Five 
Five 

Mature 
Four 



19,460.6 
16,844.6 
16,609.2 
15,769.6 
15,679.5 
15,602.5 
i5o57-6 
14,791.5 
14,674.7 
I407I-3 



798.16 
685.47 
650.32 

595-83 
628.86 
548.92 

578.53 
634.81 
596.94 
578.87 



THE BROWN SWISS 



471 



The largest two-year record in milk was 10,464.3 pounds by- 
Betty of Allynhurst 4539, and the largest yield of butter fat 
454.24 by Scallotta K, 3993. Ninety-four cows and heifers aver- 
aged 10,805.4 pounds of milk and 431.91 pounds of fat. 

Brown Swiss cattle as beef producers rank well in Switzerland 
and produce an excellent class of meat. Brown Swiss veal is 
of superior quality when well fattened. As seen in the Swiss 
markets, the carcasses show more waste than occurs with the 
better-fed carcasses in 
England or the United 
States. Weights of 400 
to 600 pounds at four 
to six months old are 
given as common, and 
the steers dress out 5 5 
to 60 per cent. But 
vei"}^ few fat Brown 
Swiss cattle have been 
seen in America. Pro- 
fessor R. S. Shaw 
reports on a two-year 
steer at the Michigan 
Agricultural College 
which had a live weight 
of 1589 pounds and 
dressed 60.6 per cent. 

Two yearlings weighing 940 and 980 pounds each dressed respec- 
tively 57.07 and 58.67 per cent. Regarding the yearlings Professor 
Shaw says^: "The hides were unusually thick and heavy, and 
the bones large and joints prominent. One of the most striking 
features noticed was the great depth of natural flesh covering the 
entire region of the back, and the massive development of the hind 
quarters. The steers were three and four inches wider at the thurl 
than at the hook points." It is not likely that cattle of this type 
will ever become popular in the American beef -cattle market. 

The distribution of Brown Swiss cattle is rather widespread, 
especially in eastern Europe. Prior to the World War extensive 




Fig. 211. A prize-winning Brown Swiss heifer 

owned by I. Burgi & Son, Arth, Switzerland. From 

photograph by the author 



1 Breeders' Gazette, January 25, 1905. 



472 CATTLE 

exportations had been made from Switzerland into Hungary and 
Italy, where these cattle were regarded with favor. They are also 
found in western Austria, Germany, France, Spain, the United 
States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Japan, About fifteen thousand 
Brown Swiss cattle have been registered in the United States, 
these being mostly east of the Mississippi River, the better-known 
herds being in New York, Ohio, Illinois, and Wisconsin. 

The promotion of Brown Swiss cattle in Switzerland is under 
the supervision of the Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders' Association, 
with headquarters at Lucerne. This association has published 
several herdbooks. There is also the Union of the Associations 
of Cattle Raisers of the Swiss Race. In this country the Brown 
Swiss Cattle Breeders' Association of America, organized in 1880, 
cares for the promotion of the breed and attends to registrations 
and transfers. Up to 19 19 there have been published five herd- 
books, showing a registration of 6199 bulls and 8899 cows. 



CHAPTER XLII 

THE DEVON 

The native home of the Devon breed of cattle is in southwestern 
England, in the counties of Devon and Somerset, Devon is 
washed by the sea on its north and south borders, while 
Somerset also borders the Bristol Channel on the north. The 
section contains much rough and hilly land, reaching a height of 
even 2000 feet, and is better suited to grazing than tillage, though 
the soil is fertile. In the southern part the climate is mild and 
balmy, being well suited to outdoor life for cattle the year round. 

The origin of the Devon is prehistoric. It has been assumed 
that the breed is descended from Bos longifrons, the smaller type 
of aboriginal cattle in Britain. The earliest English records show 
the prevalence of cattle in Devon of a color and type indicative 
of the modern breed. The early British writers on live stock 
testify to its ancient character. 

The early improvers of the Devon were Francis Quartly and 
his brothers William and Henry, and John Tanner Davy and his 
brother William. Besides these John Tanner Davy gives much 
credit to Merson and Michael Thorn of North Molton, Tapp and 
Buckingham of Twitchen, Mogridge and Raises of Molland, and 
others, who maintained the high character of their herds when 
breeders generally, on account of high prices, were selling their 
best stock for slaughter and keeping poor cattle in reserve, 

Francis Quartly is generally conceded to have accomplished 
for the Devon what the Collings did for the Shorthorn. He lived 
at Champson-in-Molland near South Molton, where his father in 
1776 began to breed Devons. The father died in 1793, and 
Francis at once began active work as a breeder on his own 
responsibility. The cattle of Devon were deteriorating for the 
reason already given. He recognized this, and not only refused 
to sell but sought out and purchased the choicest individuals 
possible, thus developing the best herd of his time. From his 

^ 473 



474 



CATTLE 



herd, which was sold on his retirement in 1836, has descended 
the most distinguished Devon blood. William Ouartly also had 
a herd until 18 16, when he sold it to his eldest brother Henry, 
who continued breeding until his death in 1840. Neither Francis 
nor William were ever married, but Henry was, and left two 
sons, James and John, who succeeded him. They also became 
great breeders, as did John's son Henry, later on. The Ouartly 
family lived in North Devon, not far from Somerset County. 





^^^^^L 




. '^•i»i» 


1 *-,-*< w -T^' .^s^ 


^ 1 



Fig. 212. Joker (479-), a IJcvun bull ol the beef type and a iiuted prize-winner 

in England. Owned by Abraham Trible, Halsdon, Holsworthy, North Devon. 

From photograph, by courtesy of the late L. P. Sisson 



John Tanner Davy was a son of John Davy, a Devon 
breeder, who was born about 1706 and died at Rose Ash, South 
Molton, North Devon, in 1790, leaving a choice herd to two 
sons, John T. and W^illiam, John produced a celebrated herd 
and won many prizes. Numerous famous Devons descend from 
his herd. He died in 1852 and was succeeded by his son. 
Colonel Davy, the founder of the Devon herdbook. This son, 
who died in 1887, aged fifty-nine, was during his prime the 
most distinguished student and promoter of Devons in England. 
He not only founded the herdbook but contributed much to 
Devon literature and publicity respecting the merits of the breed^ 



THE DEVON 475 

The introduction of the Devon to America doubtless dates back 
to colonial times, and perhaps these were the first real pure- 
bred cattle to reach our shores. The port of Plymouth, from 
which the early colonists and the Mayfloiver sailed, is on the 
south shore of Devon, and the vessel Charity, which sailed in 
1623, is thought to have had Devon cattle on board. Devons were 
imported in 1800 to Massachusetts, and in 1805 General Eaton 
took some to Otsego County, New York. In 18 17 the first pure- 
bred registered Devons brought to the United States came over in 
the brig Margaretta and were landed at Baltimore. These were 
a present from Mr. Coke (later Earl of Leicester) of Holkham, 
England, to Robert Patterson of Baltimore, and consisted of six 
two-year-old heifers and a bull named Taurus. These became 
foundation animals in the " American Devon Record." Other 
importations were later made by the Patterson family, and most 
of the early American Devons are descended from the stock of 
this family. From 1825 to 1850 and later many Devons were 
imported into the Atlantic coast states and Canada. 

Characteristics of the Devon. The Devon is not easily confounded 
with other breeds, owing to its individuality. The Jicad is lean and 
shapely and, with the female, is crowned by a pair of slender 
horns that are "' long, spreading, and gracefully turned up, of a 
waxy color, tipped with a darker shade." The bull's horns grow 
at right angles from the head or are slightly elevated, are stout 
and waxy at the base, and have dark tips. The neck is neat in its 
attachment to head and body and shows considerable refinement. 
The body of the Devon is compact of form and usually carries a 
well-sprung and deep rib, with strong heart girth. The legs are 
small and show more refinement than is the case with some other 
breeds. In fact, typical Devons have often been referred to as 
deerlike in character, owing to the natural grace and refinement 
of the breed. The color of the Devon is usually a bright red, from 
which they have been in times past nicknamed " Rubies." The 
shade varies from light to dark. White is not admissible excepting 
about the udder of the cow or in front of the scrotum of the 
male, and not beyond the navel with either or outside of the 
flanks or elsewhere on the body. The hair about the eyes and 
muzzle should be of a creamy tint and the muzzle flesh-colored. 



476 



CATTLE 



The size of the Devon shows considerable variation. Naturally 
Devons are of the smaller class as seen in beef-cattle classes in 
America, and this is one objection that has been raised here 
against the breed, together with the fact that the steers will not 




Fig. 213. Fern of Halsden, champion Devon cow at the show of the Royal Agri- 
cultural Society of England in 1904. This shows the beefy type of Devon. From 
photograph, by courtesy of William Cooper & Nephews, England 

fatten as rapidly as some of the other kinds. Mature cows, 
according to Sinclair, weigh from 1300 to 1500 pounds and 
bulls from 1500 to 2100. 

Two types of Devons essentially exist. Those in north Devon 
have always been of the smaller form, and beef production has 
been emphasized with them. In south Devon, where the breed 
is known also as the South Devon or South Hams, the cattle 
average larger, are lighter colored, tend to be coarser, and are 
more productive of milk, due, it is said, to the blood of Guernsey 
cattle. These two types have been more or less intermingled, 
but the best breeders of to-day advocate adherence to type. Pro- 
fessor Robert Wallace, in his work on the " Farm Live Stock of 
Great Britain," gives a third (a special Somerset type), found in 
north Devon. These cattle are larger, have a more droopy horn, 



THE DEVON 477 

and are coarser than the north Devon type, due to the better soil 
and cHmate of Somerset, As exhibited in America, the breed 
shows at a distinct disadvantage, for in the same show ring the 
beefy type may and does compete with the dual-purpose type. 
Western breeders appear to favor the north Devon style, while 
Eastern breeders lay emphasis on the dairy value of the breed, 
as does, in fact, the Devon cattle association. 

The Devon as a butcher's beast does not attain the high weights 
of the common beef breeds nor does it fatten as rapidly as some, 
but kills out extremely well, with small bone and moderate offal, 
producing the best of beef, fine of grain and of superior quality. 
Devons in the past have made a good record at the British fat-stock 
shows, often winning high honors. This applies in particular to the 
beef type of north Devon. The modern breeders of that section 
agree that to increase the size will injure the quality and therefore 
refuse to do so. Sinclair notes one English Devon breeder, whose 
specialty is steer breeding, who reckons that the weight of a fat 
Devon steer a little under three years old should be about 800 
pounds. In 1891 the first-prize Devon steer at the Smithfield Club 
Show, London, " not exceeding two years old," was five hundred 
and fifty-eight days old and had a live weight of 964 pounds. 

Devons as milk producers rank very well. New England farmers 
formerly kept Devon grades, or pure-breds, from which -they often 
secured fair yields. The milk is rich in fat, comparing favorably 
with that of the Jersey. The breed is essentially unknown in 
competitive dairy tests in this country. In the " American Devon 
Record " are numerous examples showing that many cows of the 
breed are ample dairy producers. E. C. Bliss states that his full- 
grown cows yield an average of 300 pounds of butter a year. 
J. W. Collins writes : " I have one cow, Lucky 3784, that has 
produced 2I- pounds of butter per day for weeks, and I have 
frequently had others that have made 2! to 2^- pounds per day." 
Wallace states that as a breed for milk production "' it has been 
and still is inferior. The cows give but a small quantity of milk 
and tend to go dry early." Alvord, who knew the breed well, 
states that some families bred and selected for dairy purposes 
have made fair milk records, single animals producing 40 and 
even 50 pounds a day. 



478 



CATTLE 



The Devon in crossing or grading has seen much service in 
the eastern United States. Owing to its long, pure inheritance the 
breed characteristics are usually strongly transmitted. Devon bulls 
on grade cows will produce a superior class of beef and rich milk. 
The Devon as a grazing beast has always ranked high. In its 
native home many steers are grass fed and receive but little grain. 
Devon oxen have long ranked very high. In New England and 
the eastern United States, when oxen were more extensively used 
than to-day, the Devon was a favorite sort. Years ago in New 

England one might 
have seen many fine 
yokes of grade Devon 
oxen that were highly 
valued for intelligent 
and active draft service 
on the hill farms. No 
cattle are more light 
and active of foot for 
this purpose. 

The distribution of 
Devons is almost world- 
wide, although the 
breed is not nearly so 
popular to-day as it 
has been. There are 
some herds in England 
outside of the Devon 
district, mainly in the south section, in Ireland, the United States, 
Canada, New South Wales, Tasmania, New Zealand, Queensland, 
Mexico, the West Indies, and South Africa. Devons in a general 
way have been distributed all over the United States, but are not 
in large numbers in any state. Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, 
and New England are the foremost sections in Devon breeding in 
America. The breed seems quite adaptable either to the rougher 
grazing regions or to the more fertile, low-lying countries. 

Organizations to promote Devon interests exist in England and 
America. The first Devon herdbook was published by Colonel 
Davy in i <S 5 1 , who subsequently published seven more volumes, 




•Anumtviir^Taaaumwnir: 



Fig. 214. Red Rose i3tli. mh (nul-in i/l- 1)c\(>ii cow 
at the New York State Fair in 191 6. This Devon is 
of the dairy type. Owned by W. H. Neal, Meredith, 
New Hampshire. From photograph by the author 



THE DF.VON 479 

the last in 1881. About 1880 the Devon Cattle Breeders' Society 
was organized in England, and the herdbook publication was 
transferred to it about 1884 by Messrs. Hawkes and Risdon, who 
had purchased the rights from Colonel Davy in 1883. Forty-one 
volumes of the Devon herdbook have been published between 
185 1 and 191 8. About 1890 the South Devon Herdbook Society 
was organized, publishing its first volume soon after in 1891, since 
which time numerous volumes have been published up to 19 18. 
In the United States an "American Devon Herdbook" was first 
published in 1863, four other volumes following, the last in 1879. 
The "American Devon Record" was first published in 188 1 by 
James Buckingham of Zanesville, Ohio. Later this record became 
the official register of the American Devon Cattle Breeders' Asso- 
ciation. This organization has long been asleep, and the last vol- 
ume of the herdbook that the author can locate was number seven, 
published in 1903. 

The popularity of the Devon in America at the present time is 
very low. For a breed with such an old and creditable history 
it is a remarkable thing that it should have come to such a sub- 
ordinate place among well-known breeds in America. But few 
Devons are seen at the fairs outside of New England, while at 
the large live-stock shows and state fairs of the Middle West, 
classes are not provided for them, so little interest is shown by 
the few persons engaged in breeding them. At the Louisiana 
Purchase Exposition at St. Louis in 1904 — the greatest American 
cattle show in history up to that time — the Devon exhibit was 
represented by two small herds and hardly produced a comment 
by the live-stock press. 



PART III. SHEEP 

CHAPTER XLIII 
THE MERINO, OR FINE-WOOL TYPE OF SHEEP 

The Merino involves several families, and all sheep of this 
group are known as fine wools, producing the finest of fiber used 
in the woolen trade. 

The general conformation of the Merino as commonly seen may 
be compared to the dairy cow. The body lacks fullness of chest, 
breadth of back, and general thickness all through, the leg of 
mutton is not thick and full, and the neck and legs tend to be 
long. A muscular development of the entire body prevails rather 
than smoothness and heavy fleshing. The wool is somewhat short 
of staple, is thick over the entire body, and is remarkably fine 
in quality. An oily secretion, commonly known as yolk,i found 
on all sheep, exudes from glands at the base of the wool fiber 
and gradually passes up the wool to the tip. Some sheep possess 
much more yolk than others, notably Merinos of the A type with 
heavy folds. This yolk accumulates dust and dirt on the exterior 
of the fleece, forming a dark, dirty covering. There are excep- 
tions, however, with the smooth-bodied Merinos, some showing 
but little external yolk. 

Three classes or types of Merino sheep are recognized to-day 
by men who are familiar with this breed. The first attempt at 
classification occurred early in the nineties, when at the World's 
Columbian Exposition at Chicago the Merinos were placed in 
three classes, — namely, A, B, and C, — based on the amount of folds 
or wrinkles shown, especially on the neck, body, and hind quarters. 
Since this time the Merinos at the Ohio State Fair, which is 

1 The word "yolk" is used by the best authorities in referring to the natural oil 
of the fleece, but the words " grease " or " oil " are also made frequent use of 
among American breeders. 

481 



482 SHEEP 

the great American Merino show, have been given these three 
classes, and at the more important shows of the breed a classi- 
fication of this sort is provided. These classes may be briefly 
described as follows : 

The A type Merino represents the distinctly Spanish or Amer- 
ican sort, with heavy folds at the neck and over the body and 
hind quarters. One is impressed with the surplus of skin over 




Fin. 215. A fine example of an A type Merino. Note the extreme number of 

folds which cover the entire body. From photograph, by courtesy of the Xatioiial 

Stockman and Farmer 

the entire body, but more especially at the neck, breast, flanks, 
rump, and thighs. The wool is short, approximately an inch and 
a half long, is very fine, and weighs heavy in its unwashed con- 
dition, due to a large per cent of yolk. This is the lightest- 
weighing Merino, one hundred pounds being a fairly good weight 
for the females. This type is discussed in detail in Chapter XLIV, 
on the American Merino. 

The B type Merino is characterized by a smoother bod\-, with 
fewer folds, especially over the back and ribs, although those on 



THE MERINO, OR FINE-WOOL TYPE OF SHEEP 483 

the neck, breast, and hind quarters should be pronounced, though 
hghter than in the A type. The fleece also is somewhat longer, 
easily surpassing an inch and a half, and contains less yolk than 
A. The B type usually has somewhat more scale and carries 
more natural flesh and some less weight of fleece than A. 

The C type Merino has a smooth body, with no folds unless 
to a slight extent at the neck or breast. A model example should 
be free of all folds. The Delaines and plain-bodied Rambouillets 
represent this type. These have a fleece with less yolk and weight 
than B, though with increased length of staple. The C type also 
should be somewhat larger than B and approach nearer to true 
mutton type, while the fleece retains its typical fine-wool char- 
acter. Individuals of this type have been exhibited at our fairs 
that in mutton form compared well with the best of Southdowns 
or Shropshires. This type is discussed in detail in Chapter XLV, 
on the Delaine Merino. 

The breeding of the three types of Merinos is conducted in 
some of the best American flocks. One man may keep sheep of 
each type and use them to improve or maintain his flock or to 
satisfy demands of different customers. Type A rams offer a 
medium for imparting to flocks in which B type ewes predominate 
a denser, heavier-weighing fleece, though naturally lowering the 
mutton value. The B type meets with a special demand as a 
medium for producing more scale and substance in the A type 
and increasing density and weight of fleece in the C type. The 
demand for the A type is very restricted and is steadily growing 
more so, but the B type, judiciously bred, meets a real need in 
the Merino world. 

The line of demarkation in Merino type is not entirely agreed 
to among breeders. In the great shows of the different types 
at the Ohio State Fair it is not uncommon to see sheep of two 
types in one class ; as, for example, A and B, or B and C. In 
such cases the judge, as a rule, ignores the sheep that is off type. 
Merino lambs often show a strong marking of folds, so that they 
might naturally be placed in one class, but with a year or so of 
growth these folds are outgrown to some extent, thereby justifying 
reclassification as another type. In recent years some Merino 
breeders who have been careful students have discussed different 



484 



SHEEP 



types of fleece, assuming there was a distinct A, B, and C staple 
on each type. F'urther, it has been assumed that A type Merinos 
sometimes carry B type fleeces, or that one will find on a B type 
ram a C type fleece. Consequently, in an effort to draw sharp 
lines between the types, some breeders emphasize the necessity 
of uniformity of type of body, folds, and fleece in each class. 

The more general 
characteristics of the 
Merino may be set 
forth in the following 
discussion of the vari- 
ous parts of the ani- 
mal. The //ra(/ o( the 
Merino should be short, 
broad at the muzzle, 
with large nostrils. A 
?iose short and inclined 
to be wrinkled and 
somewhat thick, and of 
Roman type with rams, 
is preferred. There 
should also be ample 
width between large, 
clear, mild eyes, with 
a prominent forehead. 
The ears should be 
fine and short, be ac- 
tively carried, and have 
a covering of silky hair. 
The Jiorns, which occur on the males, as a rule interfere with the 
natural action and movement of ear. The horns on mature rams 
are large, are rather angular at the base, and have a spiral turn 
backward, then downward, around forward, and up, forming a more 
or less corkscrew curve. The horn when fully developed usually 
shows one and one-half turn ; with some the tip of horn turns up- 
ward, with others it turns down. The head of the male, as a whole, 
should show sex character in a strong degree. The neck of the 
Merino should be of moderate length, neither thin nor thick, and 




Fig. 216. The B type Merino. Note the prevalence 
of folds at each end, but with comparative free- 
dom from those on the body. This ewe, owned by 
G. E. Helser, West La Fayette, Ohio, weighed 140 
pounds and sheared a fleece weighing 25 pounds. 
From photograph, by courtesy of Mr. Helser 



"THE MERINO, OR FINE-WOOL TYPE OF SHEEP 485 

heavy, but should be moderately muscled and blended smoothly 
to head and shoulders. The neck of the male should be more 
heavily muscled, showing distinct masculinity, with some indication 
of throatiness, or folds, according to type. The shoulders should 
be smooth and incline well into the back and not be too promi- 
nent. A prominence of shoulder is a very common feature with 
this type. The withers are frequently sharp and high, although a 
neat, close, nicely rounded, smooth top at this point is desirable, 
especially with the ewes. More prominence of withers is desired 
with rams, and some of the greatest sires have been very strong 
in this respect. The breast and chest should exhibit considerable 
depth, with a reasonable thickness in proportion. A common 
feature of the Merino is to have too peaked a breast, lacking thick- 
ness at the chest. The crops and fore flank, which show material 
deficiency in many cases, should be reasonably well filled out. 
The_/;w// legs of the Merino are characteristically crooked at the 
knees. As one looks at them from in front the knees fairly touch 
together, while the toes spread out. Sometimes the wool on the 
legs causes deception in this respect, but as a rule the legs are 
crooked at the knees, due primarily to a narrow chest. The pasterns 
should be springy, of medium length, and should be strong and 
support the sheep in proper form. Merino /"^^^ naturally incline 
to grow long at the toes and thus throw the weight on the heel, 
giving a poor and weak support. No breed of sheep shows poorer 
feet than the Merino. The back of the Merino varies according 
to the type. Those of type A usually are narrower and flatter of 
rib. In any case a strongly supported, fairly wide back with level, 
wide loin is essential. The back is very commonly depressed or 
shows a marked dip or break, a feature to which breeders do not 
give enough attention. The body should have a rather strongly 
rounded-out form, the ribs showing a fair arch and considerable 
length, thus furnishing ample feeding and breeding capacity. A 
blocky, short body is not so typical as one with more roundness 
and of moderate length. The hind flanks should show ample depth. 
The Jiips of the Merino should be smooth, and not too prominent. 
The rump of the Merino, in correct form, is long, level, and 
wide, but a common defect of specimens of this breed, no matter 
what the type, is a peaked, droopy rump. 



486 SHEEP 

The leg of mutton varies with the type. The nearer one 
approaches type C the more filled out in all its parts the hind 
quarter becomes. Nevertheless, even in type A the thigh should 
be strong and reasonably full, though not so thick or full in 
twist as with types B and C. Considering that type C empha- 
sizes mutton value, the leg of mutton here should be strong of 
development. 

The hind legs should be muscular and straight, whether viewed 
from either rear or one side, the shank bones fine and short, 
the pasterns strong and well carried, and the toes neatly placed. 
Instead of that the hind legs in all classes of Merinos strongly 




Fig. 217. A group of C type Merinos at the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station. 
Note the absence of folds. From photograph, by courtesy of the Ohio Station 

tend to crooked or sickle hocks, the points nearly if not quite 
touching, and the toes turning out. Often the legs below the 
hocks are carried too much under the body, the shanks being too 
slanting. Owing to lack of attention the toes may grow too long, 
and thus the foot becomes thrown out of proper placing and the 
entire leg is affected. Careful trimming of the toes will easily 
remedy this. Sheep of the A type tend to have bad feet and 
should be carefully selected and mated, with the view of avoiding 
this trouble as much as possible. 

The skin of the Merino should be firm and of a bright pink 
color and free of all scurfiness. No class of sheep, as a rule, 
shows such excellent, high-class color of skin as generally pre- 
vails with this breed. The smoothness of skin varies, that of A 
having notable folds (as has been explained on page 482), 



THE MERINO, OR FINE-WOOL TYPE OF SHEEP 487 

B having fewer, and C hardly any at all. The skin of type A, 
according to some Merino authorities, is also thicker, mellower, 
and more porous than that of C, which is thin and more delicate 
than the other. 

The fleshing of the Merino of A type is limited in degree, 
being really a very muscular body with almost no fat. A smoother, 
better-fleshed body occurs with type B, while C in ideal form is 
well rounded out, smooth in all the parts, neatly covered with 
fiesh without superfluou.' fat. 

The wool of the IVlerino, as has been stated, represents the finest 
grade produced. This varies in diameter and length, according 
to the breed or breeding, and is discussed to some extent under 
Merino families proper. In all cases, however, the fleece should 
cover the body densely, and the fibers be very fine, uniform in 
diameter, and carry considerable crimp. The yolk should be suf- 
ficiently abundant to keep the fleece in superior condition at all 
times, indicating a healthy condition of skin and body. This yolk 
exposed to the sun turns darker in color than when shaded in the 
fleece and so adds to the dirty external appearance. A white yolk 
is said to turn darker than the more yellow sort. A fleece of a 
light creamy yellow, being neither white nor egg-yellow, is pre- 
ferred. A very heavy exudation of yolk is objected to as not only 
causing unnecessary shrinkage of fleece in washing but also as 
being something of a drain on the animal's vitality. Present-day 
wool buyers discriminate against the heavy-shrinking, old-fashioned, 
fine-wool fleeces. To some extent it is probable that the amount 
of yolk may be affected by the food. Professor J. A. Craig states 
that lambs fed grain from birth invariably sheared heavier fleeces 
than those that had grain only during the latter three months of 
feeding. The wool should be naturally bright and lustrous, with 
a clean white color. 



CHAPTER XLIV 

THE AMERICAN MERINO^ 

The Spanish Merino as the parent of the American Merino 
should receive a brief consideration introductory to this breed. 

The native home of the Merino is in Spain, in southern Europe. 
The country is quite variable in character, the interior consisting 
of plains as well as long ranges of mountains, some of which are 
many thousand feet high. There are numerous rivers and deep 
valleys. The climate is generally dry and mild in the lowlands, 
and oranges, citrons, olives, and grapes are commonly produced ; 
while on the plains and mountain sides are extensive pastures, 
where in times past large flocks have grazed. On the lower, 
richer lands the sheep are larger than on the drier, poorer soils 
<or more elevated mountains. 

The origin of Merino sheep is merely speculative. In 1809 
Livingston stated^ that many supposed Merinos were originally 
introduced from the coast of Barbary in Africa by Don Pedro IV 
of Spain. It has been assumed by others that the parent stock 
existed in Spain prior to the Christian Era, and that this was 
improved by the introduction of Tarentine sheep from Tarento, 
southern Italy. Lucius Columella, a famous Latin writer on agri- 
culture, who wrote during the first century, is said to have intro- 
duced these A.D. 41, and he also imported African rams. The 
people of Carthage and Phoenicia in northern Africa brought 
fine-wooled sheep to Spain, as did probably other invaders also. 
The sheep of Spain in those days were of various colors, — white, 
black, red or tawny, the red fiber being of the finest quality. 

Sheep husbandry in Spain was for centuries an important in- 
dustry. Historians at the beginning of the Christian Era, especially 

^ The word "Merino" is Spanish, signifying governor of a small province and 
likewise one who has care of the pastures or cattle in general. lie receives his 
appointment from the king, is a person of rank, and is termed "Merino Mayor." 

^ Robert R. Livingston, Essay on Sheep. Albany (N. Y.), 1809. 

488 



THE AMERICAN MERINO 489 

Columella, directed attention to the superior fleece of the sheep 
of Spain. As early as the eighth century, when the Saracens 
took possession of Spain, they established many mechanical arts, 
among which was the woolen industry, and the Spanish sheep 
furnished the fiber. The statement has been made that in Seville 
no less than sixteen thousand looms existed in the thirteenth 
century. Some of the Spanish cloths were highly esteemed for 
their quality. By the fifteenth century, however, the Moors had 
been largely driven from Spain, and the woolen industry fell 
into decay and finally became unimportant. Later an attempt was 
made to revive the manufacture of fine fabrics from wool, but 
without success. Undoubtedly these early sheep were much infe- 
rior to those we know to-day in America, but without question 
they produced finer wool than did other European sheep. The 
modern improvement of the Merino is distinctly an American 
accomplishment. The Spanish government opposed most of the 
first exportations, and many sheep were smuggled from the country. 

Two great groups of Spanish sheep existed in times past. 
One, known as Estantes, or stationary, consisted of flocks of the 
coarser-wooled types, and these remained permanently on many 
of the hill farms. The other group, termed TrajisJnimantes, or 
migratory, consisted of flocks that were driven during the spring 
season, under the care of competent shepherds, across country 
and into the mountains over a grazing region, to be returned 
in the fall to their original home. The Transhumantes were 
divided into two classes — the Leonese and Sorian. The former 
was the more numerous and was the more highly esteemed. 
Most of the sheep brought to America from Spain belonged to 
the Transhumantes group. 

The annual Merino drives in Spain were most important affairs. 
Youatt ^ writes as follows : 

The Leonese after having been cantoned during the winter on the north 
bank of the Guadiana, in Estremadura, begin their march about the fifteenth 
of April in divisions of two or three thousand. They pass the Tagus at Almares, 
and direct their course towards Trecasas, Alfaro, and L'Epinar, where they 
are shorn. This operation having been performed, they recommence their 

1 William Youatt, Sheep ; Breeds, Management, and Diseases, p. 1 50. London, 
1837. See also M. Tessier, Instruction sur les Betes a Laine. Paris, 1810. 



490 SHEEP 

travels towards the kingdom of Leon. Some halt on the Sierra (ridge of the 
mountains) which separates Old from New Castile, but others pursue their route 
to the pastures of Cervera, near Aquilar del Campo. Here they graze until the 
end of September, when they commence their return to Estremadura. The 
Sorian sheep, having passed the winter on th'e confines of Estremadura, Anda- 
lusia, and New Castile, begin their route about the same time. They pass the 
Tagus at Talavera and approach Madrid ; thence they proceed to Soria, where 
a portion of them are distributed over the neighboring mountains, while the 
others cross the Ebro in order to proceed to Navarre and the Pyrenees. 

It is said that these periodical journeys can be traced back to 
the middle of the fourteenth century, when a tribunal was estab- 
lished for their regulation. The number of these migratory sheep 
seventy-five years ago was placed at ten millions, and they were 
divided into flocks, each in care of a Mayoral, or chief shepherd. 

The important provincial flocks of Spain, from which the best 
Merino blood was exported, were represented on about a half-dozen 
estates, there being mainly, according to Livingston, about thirty 
thousand on each estate. These flocks have been described by 
various early writers, notably Consul William Jarvis, who, at the 
opening of the eighteenth century, was familiar with the flocks in 
Spain, he being United States consul at Lisbon, Portugal, from 
which port thousands of Merinos were shipped. Jarvis not only 
exported Merinos to America but later became one of our great 
constructive breeders. The information concerning the early 
Spanish flocks is more or less obscure, often indefinite, and some- 
times conflicting. The following is such evidence as can be pre- 
sented of the groups or classes from which American importations 
were mainly drawn. In Spain these classes were more or less 
interbred, and the same applies to American flocks. 

Paular Merinos. This family, which produced the largest and 
best fleeces, was originally owned by the Carthusian friars of Paular, 
on the borders of Andalusia, an agricultural class of monks who 
paid great attention to horses and sheep. This was probably one 
of the handsomest flocks of Spain, having close, compact, soft, 
and silky wool, with less surface yolk than most types. The 
Paulars were credited with enlargement behind the ears, with con- 
siderable throatiness, and their lambs had a coarse, hairy appear- 
ance at birth. William Jarvis imported many Paular sheep in 
l8io and made a specialty of breeding this family. 



THE AMERICAN MERINO 



491 



louse o i-.-~' 




Aguirre Merinos had more wool about the face and legs than 
did the other families. The wool was more crimped than that of the 
Paulars and less so than that of the Negrettis, and was thick and 
soft. The Aguirres had short legs, round and broad bodies, and 
much loose skin, or folds. In a letter written to Consul Jarvis in 
December, 18 10, the writer states that Cochran Johnson had "sent 
about three thousand Merinos, principally Aguirres, to New York." 

Negretti Merinos 
were the largest and 
strongest of the Trans- 
humantes sheep of 
Spain, The wool was 
somewhat shorter and 
more open than that 
of the Paular and 
" inclined to double," 
Many Negrettis were 
wooled on the face and 
on the legs to the hoofs. 
All the loose-skinned 
sheep had heavy dew- 
laps. The rams pos- Fig. 218. A map of Spain, showing the provinces 

SeSSed large horns, !" ^^'"'^ ^f ^ breeding was important at the 

^ _ beginning ot the nineteenth century. The chain 

Guadaloupe Merinos marlis indicate the routes that were followed by the 
were heavier of bone Transhumantes flocks 

than the Negrettis and 

were of much the same size, but were not so handsome, ac- 
cording to Jarvis, although Lasteyrie credits them with the most 
perfect form and says they are celebrated also for the quantity 
and quality of their wool. These sheep had numerous folds, and 
the wool was thick and crimped and more oily than the Negrettis. 
Escurial Merinos were about as tall as the Paulars, but were 
slighter of frame. Their wool was crimped and not so thick as 
that of the Paular, and they had less wool on the legs and face. 
The skins of the Escurial sheep were not so loose as were those 
of the Negretti and Aguirre families. Another family, known as 
the Montarcos, very closely resembled the Escurials, but were not 
prime favorites for importation to America. 



492 



SHEEP 



Infantado Merinos were mainly bred by the Duke of Infantado. 
They were very superior sheep, and many of them were brought 
to America, notably by Charles Henry Hall. The horns on the 
rams came nearer to the sides of the head than did those on the 
Paulars and Negrettis. The Infantados of Atwood mated with 
Paulars resulted in a great improvement, and from this com- 
mingling of blood was derived the Atwood family of Merinos, 
long celebrated for superiority of fleece. 

The reduction of Merino flocks in Spain became serious in 1809 
with the invasion of that country by the French. The sheep on 




Fig. 219. Wooly Nose and White Xose, two American Merino rams owned by 
the late J. J. Deeds of Ohio. From photograph, by courtesy of the American 

Sheep Breeder 



four estates were confiscated by the Spanish Council of State because 
the proprietors had joined the French, with the result that the flocks 
became sadly depleted. The Paulars, which had numbered 30,000 
or 40,000, were reduced to 7500 head ; the Negretti, that originally 
nearly equaled the Paulars in numbers, fell to 6000 ; the Montarcos, 
that at one time numbered 30,000, dropped to 4000 ; while the 
Aguirres decreased from 30,000 to 3000 head. Consul Jarvis es- 
timated that 100,000 of the finest sheep in Spain were destroyed 
by the ravages of war, leaving only slightly over 20,000. 

The exportation of Merinos from Spain to other countries was of 
great importance, for with this the improvement of the Merino be- 
gan. The Spaniards themselves not only did not attempt system- 
atic improvement but eventually allowed the breed to deteriorate 



THE AMERICAN MERINO 493 

and essentially disappear. Sheep were exported from Spain and im- 
proved in their new homes, as indicated in the following examples : 

Swedish Merinos. It is believed that the first of these sheep 
exported from Spain were taken by Mr. Alstroemer to Sweden in 
1723, yet but little information seems available on this point. 

Saxon Merinos. In 1765 the Elector of Saxony imported from 
Spain 92 rams and 128 ewes, these coming from the flocks 
of Count Negrette. Part of these were placed on a farm near 
Dresden and were later distributed to various farms, where they 
were carefully bred and did remarkably well. Youatt states that 
the wool of the Saxon Merino became finer and more serrated 
than its Spanish progenitor and so had an increased value. It has 
been claimed that the Saxon is the least hardy of the modern 
Merinos. The modern type of Saxon is essentially free of folds. 

German, or Silesian, Merinos. The first attempt towards the 
establishment of this family was in 1768 by Herr Von Vinke, near 
Halle, who introduced some Saxon Merinos. Ten years later he 
secured pure Merinos from Spain and crossed them on the 
sheep in that section of Germany. In 1776 Frederick the Great 
became interested and imported 300 pure Merinos from Spain, 
but through disease and mismanagement these came to an 
unfortunate end. Later Von Vinke purchased 1000 pure Merinos 
under government commission, agricultural schools were established 
for the instruction of shepherds, and sheep husbandry was espe- 
cially promoted. This resulted in establishing the German, or 
Silesian, family. Mr. J. G. Eisner is said to have written ^ a 
history of some 300 flocks in Silesia which were based on the 
Negretti and Electoral families. Referring to these sheep in the 
flock of the Duke of Lichnowsky, about the year 1800, located 
near Troppau, Silesia, he says that his type was Negretti-Infantado. 

The wool was very strong, containing a large quantity of grease ; the body^ 
barrel shaped ; the head well covered with wool, and folds around the neck ; 
wool covering the limbs well down toward the extremities ; the skin of a deep 
rose color — these are the main characteristics of the type. At that period 
sheep were esteemed valuable in proportion to the many folds they had on the 
neck and body, and that became the prevailing type in Moravia, Austrian and 
Prussian Silesia, and adjoining provinces. 

1 Sheep Industry of the United States (1892), p. 383. 



494 



SHEEP 



French Merinos, or Rambouillets, were imported from Spain to 
France in 1786 by government commission. This type is dis- 
cussed by itself in Chapter XLVI. 

English Merinos. About 1787, during the reign of George III, 
the " farmer king," a small flock of mixed Merinos was smuggled 
from Spain through Portugal and taken to England. These were 
inferior, so in 1791, at the request of the king, a select lot of 
Negretti sheep, consisting of four rams and thirty-six ewes, were 




Fig. 220. A Wanganella ram sold in the annual ram sale at Sydney, New South 
Wales, in July, 1918, for $13,125. This represents a very fashionable line of 
breeding in Australia. From photograph, by courtesy of the American. Sheep Breeder 



collected by one of the Spanish nobility and presented to the 
king. These arrived in England in good shape, but did poorly 
at first. Not being suited to the moist climate and rich pastures, 
they suffered much from disease and especially foot rot. They 
gradually became acclimated and thrived fairly well. A society 
was organized in 181 1 to promote them, but the small size of 
this sheep and its inferior mutton quality caused British farmers 
gradually to give them up. At the present day there are no 
Merino flocks in England. 

The Australian Merino. Late in the eighteenth centur)^ a few 
Merinos had been taken to Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, 



THE AMERICAN MERINO 495 

from England. Later, in 1797, these were taken to Sydney, 
New South Wales, Since that period Australia has become the 
greatest Merino-sheep country in the world. There these sheep 
thrive and produce a very superior grade of wool. 

The introduction of the Merino to the United States probably 
occurred in 1793. Mr. William Foster of Boston, Massachu- 
setts, smuggled from Spain i ram and 2 ewes. These he pre- 
sented to a friend, who, not realizing their value, used them 
for meat, though he later purchased a ram for $1000 at auction. 
In October, 1801, Seth Adams, then of Dorchester, Massachusetts, 
imported a pair of Spanish Merinos which were conveyed through 
France to the seaboard. Later, in 1807, Adams moved to Ohio, 
taking the first Merino sheep west of the Allegheny Mountains. 
In 1801 M. Dupont de Nemours had 4 ram lambs shipped to 
America, 3 of which died at sea. The other, Don Carlos, was taken 
to Dupont's farm along the Hudson River in New York, where for 
nearly four years he was used on the flocks of that region. Later 
he was taken to Wilmington, Delaware, and the influence of his 
blood was extensively felt in New York, Delaware, Maryland, Penn- 
sylvania, and Virginia. In 1 802 Colonel David Humphreys imported 
from Spain 21 rams and 70 ewes to his home in Derby, Connecti- 
cut. In an interesting communication ^ regarding this importation, 
made to the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture, 
Colonel Humphreys on August 25, 1802, wrote as follows: 

Convinced that this race of sheep, of which I believe not one has been brought 
to the United States until the importation by myself, might be introduced with 
great benefit to our country, I contracted with a person of the most respectable 
character, to deliver to me at Lisbon, one hundred, composed of twenty-five rams 
and seventy-five ewes, from one to two years old. They were conducted, with 
proper passports, across the country of Portugal by three Spanish shepherds, 
and escorted by a small guard of Portuguese soldiers. On the i oth of April last 
they were embarked in the Tagus, on board the ship Persevetatice, of 250 tons, 
Caleb Coggeshall, Master. In about fifty days twenty-one rams and seventy 
ewes were landed at Derby, in Connecticut ; they having been shifted at New 
York on board of a sloop destined to that river. The nine which died were 
principally killed in consequence of bruises received by the violent rolling of the 
vessel on the banks of Newfoundland. 

1 BuUetiti of the A'atioiial Association of Wool Majiufacticrers (September, 1905), 
p. 241. 



496 



SHEEP 



For this importation Colonel Humphreys was granted a gold 
medal. These Humphreys Merinos became important American 
foundation stock, to which a number of families directly trace. In 
the spring of 1802 Robert Livingston, minister to France, sent 
4 head of Merinos of French breeding to New York. In 1805 
Livingston returned to America and began breeding pure and 
grade Merinos. He was very successful in his breeding, and his 




Fig. 221. An Aniencan Merino rain shown at the Pan-American Exposition in 

1901 by H. D. Jackson of Bridport, Vermont. This ram was first-prize yearling 

and the champion ram of the Class A type. From photograph, by courtesy of 

the National Stockmatt and Farmer 



sheep attracted wide attention and brought high prices. He had 
great social influence and was a famous politician, so that he induced 
many to take up sheep husbandry. In 1809 he wrote an " Essay 
on Sheep," which was ordered printed by the New York legisla- 
ture. Through his influence the legislature also passed an act in 
1808 to encourage raising and breeding Merinos. In 1809-18 10 
William Jarvis of Vermont, United States consul at Lisbon, 
Portugal, shipped at different times a total of about 4000 Spanish 
Merinos, of which 1500 came to New York, 1000 to Boston and 



THE AMERICAN MERINO 



497 



Newburyport, and the remainder mostly to Philadelphia, Baltimore, 
Alexandria, Richmond, and Norfolk. "Indeed," says Mr. Jarvis 
in his correspondence, " I was disposed to distribute these valuable 
animals to every state which would be likely to profit by their 
acquisition." All of these were sheep of superior breeding. They 
included Paulars, Aguirres, Escurials, Negrettis, and Montarcos. 
Jarvis placed 400 head on his farm in Vermont, in the care of 
Paular shepherds, and he writes: "I bred the respective fiocks, 
separately till 18 16 and 18 17, when I mixed them together, 
and have so bred my Merinos ever since." The importations of 
Humphreys and Jarvis distributed Spanish Merinos widely over 
the Northeastern states, and from these our American Merinos 
received their important early start. Each of these men bred 
most successfully, greatly improving their flocks. 

A mania for Merino sheep began to develop, and in 18 10 both 
Livingston and Humphreys sold rams at $1000 each, while the 
latter sold 2 ewes and 2 rams at $1500 each. Then came a 
great craze for fine-wool sheep, and it is stated that in 18 10 
over 10,000 were shipped to America, — Cochran Johnston, 
Goold Brothers, and Charles O'Neil importing from Lisbon, and 
R. W. Meade and others from Cadiz. It is estimated that from 
April I, 1 8 10, to August 31, 181 1, there were brought to the 
United States 19,651 Merino sheep. 

The early foundation improvers of the Merino in America 
began with Adams and Humphreys, but during the middle of 
the century a few men rendered great service in the improve- 
ment of this sheep. Notable among these were four Vermont 
breeders; namely, William Jarvis (1811-1859), Weathersfield ; 
Charles Rich of Shoreham (who began to breed in 1823, and 
whose sons, John T. and Charles, continued the flock, while 
still later two grandsons — J. T. and Virtulan, sons of John T. 
— maintained the family prestige); Tyler Stickney (1834-1882) 
of Stickney; and Edwin Hammond (1844-1870) of Middlebury, 
than whom none was more eminent among Merino fiockmasters. 
Stephen Atwood, who established a flock in 18 13 at Woodbury, 
Connecticut, and continued the work until 1867, produced a 
famous line of breeding ; while William R. Dickinson of Steuben- 
ville, Ohio, who bred from 1809 to 1830, and Bezaleel Wells of 



498 



SHEEP 



the same place and time did much for Merino improvement in 
the then new West, These men were among the really great 
pioneer breeders of America ; they did much to improve the 
Merino, notably in character and quantity of fleece, and from their 
flocks descends the best blood of to-day. 

Characteristics of the American Merino. This Merino is simply 
an improved form of the Spanish, characterized by heavy folds 
on the body, excepting over the back. The Jicad is small, being 




Y\G. 222. A quartet of yearling American Merino rams bred by T- D. Irwin of 
Ohio. Yxom. photograph, by courtesy of Mr. Irwin 



comparatively broad and short, the rams carrying heavy, spirally 
twisted horns, and the ewes being hornless. The lips and nostrils 
are white, and fine, silky white hairs surround the muzzle and ex- 
tend part way up the nose. The cars are small and are covered 
with fine white hairs. Reddish or tan-colored hair is occasionally 
seen on the ears and nose of the Merino, which suggests a rever- 
sion to the same color of earlier days. Some Merino breeders 
have valued this color variation, while others have endeavored to 
breed it out. The neck is thin and tends to be long below and 
short above, the shojddcrs are very sloping, the chest narrow but 



THE AMERICAN MERINO 499 

deep, the withers thin, the back moderately narrow and often not 
well sustained, the rump frequently steep, the thighs thin, the 
legs small and fine. The skin is of the most attractive bright- 
pink color, and in good specimens is in folds along the bridge 
of the nose and neck, about the breast, shoulders, lower part of 
the sides, and about the rump and thigh. There are usually no 
folds over the back and perhaps upper third of the sides, unless 
in a small degree. In 1892 an eminent breeder is thus quoted 
by Ezra Carman^: 

The prevailing fashion is to have from three to five heavy folds on the 
neck, not large on the upper side, but large on the under side ; two or three 
short folds on and immediately back of each elbow or arm ; fine, thick wrinkles 
running down the sides, but not extending over the back. Wrinkles across the 
hips, sometimes from the tail in the direction of the stifle, and sometimes at 
right angles with them, folds also around the tail to give it a wide appearance, 
and also folds across the thigh, with a deep flank. 

The fleece covers the entire body and legs excepting in the 
armpits. The ears are covered with fine, silky hairs, and the head 
should be well wooled over excepting the lower end of the nose. 
The eyes are often hidden by the fleece covering the head. The 
outside of the fleece is of a dirty black color, caused by the accu- 
mulation of dust in the yolk which exudes to the end of the fiber, 
adding greatly to the unwashed weight. A considerable amount 
of oil is desirable in the fleece and especially is it important in 
the rams. A dry white fleece is an inferior wool, and rams with 
such fleeces are not usually the best stock getters. This yolk may 
be scoured off to show a shrinkage in weight of 65 to 75 per cent. 
American Merino wool is the finest produced, and the more folds 
on the body and the more crimped the fiber, the finer the staple. 
The one-year-old fleece of a mature sheep will show a length of 
about one and one-half to two inches. The temperament of the 
Merino is very lively, yet not necessarily inconsistent with docility, 
and no breed is more easily handled in flocks. 

The modern type of Merino in Australia, where the A type 
has had great popularity, is of the B sort. The following is 

^ Ezra Carman, II. A. Heath, and John Minto, Special Report on the History 
and Present Condition of the Sheep Industry of the United States. Washington, 
1802. 



500 SHEEP 

abstracted from an interesting article by J. S. Dunnet,^ on 
"Australia's Popular Type of Merino," which is very suggestive 
to American students : 

Leading flockmasters are agreed that the ram with a deep neck, connected 
right from the jaw to the brisket, with one fairly deep cross-fold about halfway 
along and a well-defined wrinkle at his breast, running up well in front of each 
forearm, thus forming a collar, is the best. This style of neck is easily shorn. 
It allows a growth of first-class wool, worth more per pound than that produced 
on any other part of the body. Such a neck should be long and deep on the 
underline, from brisket to jowl, and carried on a broad, strong, but short 
neck on top, closing up the wool as much as possible from the horns to the 
withers. Sheep of this class are mostly vigorous, and thrive well under hard 
conditions, especially if free from body-folds and wrinkles. 

What is the argument in favor of neck-folds? It is that the greater the 
surface area of the skin covered with wool the heavier the clip. It should be 
closely watched, however, that the folds are not so close and deep as to cramp 
the wool and obscure the light and air, as the weakness would produce in the 
recesses a sweaty, fuzzy wool of a low type, which aims a blow at uniformity. 
A defect in many rams is that unless the necessary care has been exercised 
in breeding there is a tendency to hairiness on the neck, the thigh, and the 
breech. The wool on the neck-folds is generally of a higher grade than on 
the thigh or ham-folds, and therefore it is a better place to carry the extra 
wool. It is also claimed that ewes from such heavily thighed rams are apt to 
prove bad mothers, for their milk is short. 

The reason why the corrugated, wrinkly sheep was discarded was that, by 
cultivating folds anywhere else on the body, excepting on the neck and behind 
the elbow, the breeders found they were sacrificing too much evenness of 
fleece for quality and losing far too much vigor. The best authorities are now 
agreed that one good neck-fold and a collar, or at the most two neck-folds with 
perhaps a wrinkle behind the elbow, are all that can be safely allowed. As tjie 
tendency of the standard Merino wool is to become stronger from the neck 
back to the breech this coarseness becomes greatly accentuated as the size and 
closeness of these folds increase. 

For these reasons, as well as the tendency to weak constitution, excessive 
folds and wrinkles now find very few champions in Australia. A good forearm 
and a good thigh are generally associated with deep, heavy necks, but in no 
case should the sheep be so big in the thigh as not to provide space for the 
udder. It is remarkable that some sheep outgrow many of their wrinkles, 
although some of them remain with them to the end of the chapter. 

The size of the American Merino naturally varies. Weights of 
130 pounds or upward for the rams and about 100 pounds for 
the ewes are acceptable to breeders. The finer specimens of rams 

^Breeders' Gazette, January i8, 191 1. 



THE AMERICAN MERINO 



501 



often weigh i 50 pounds or more, and many excellent ewes weigh 
less than 100 pounds. Among the great rams of a half century 
ago were many that weighed no to 120 pounds. The weights 
of some of the early noted rams are as follows : Wooster*, 100 
pounds; Old Greasy*, no; Old Wrinkley*, 130; Gold Drop*, 
140; California*, 140; Eureka, 150; Sweepstakes*, 150; Cen- 
tennial, 165 ; Bismark, 170. Those given a star (*) were used in 




Fig. 223. Prince Charlie, a Merino ram bred by the estate of the late F. E. Body, 
Bundemar, Trangie, New South Wales, and sold in June, 1918 for $15,120, the 
highest price on record paid for a sheep. This is the present-day popular type in 
Australia, though perhaps close to the C type. From photograph, by courtesy of 
W. T. Ritch, Australian wool expert 

the flock of Edwin Hammond. Of the present-day A type sheep 
but few rams exceed 160 pounds and few ewes 130 pounds, and 
then with a full-year weight of fleece. 

The American Merino as a wool producer is famous. No class 
of sheep shears so strong, fine, and heavy a fleece. Many mature 
females shear from 12 to 15 pounds, and rams easily attain 20 
pounds. The Vermont Merino Register gives thirty-six rams, 
three years old or over, whose fleeces averaged 3 1 pounds i ounce 
each, one weighing 37 pounds 8 ounces. A two-year-old ram, at 



502 SHEEP 

the annual shearing of the Vermont Sheep Shearing Association, 
sheared 44 pounds 3 ounces. Records are given by the Vermont 
Register of fifty-four ewes, two years old and over, which sheared 
1064 pounds 9 ounces (an average of 19 pounds 11 ounces), tlie 
heaviest fleece weighing 25 pounds. In 1887 forty-six ewes 
averaged 21 pounds 5 ounces. Gold Coin, perhaps the greatest 
Merino sire in recent history, bred and owned by S. M. Cleaver 
of Ohio, has produced three fleeces averaging about 36 pounds 
each for one year's growth, and one ewe in the Cleaver flock 
produced a fleece weighing 27 pounds 4 ounces. J. D. Irwin of 
Ohio is credited with producing a fleece which weighed 50 pounds, 
which is the heaviest of which the author has record. 

The relationship of weight of Merino fleece to body is regarded 
as showing the true wool-producing capacity of the sheep. The 
thirty-six rams above referred to sheared 25.2 per cent wool to 
weight of carcass. Quoting from Vermont reports, in r8t2 the 
best rams produced but about 6 per cent wool to weight of body. 
In 1844 the wool had increased to 15 per cent, from 1844 to 
1865 to 21 per cent, and from then to 1880 up to 36 per cent, 
showing a remarkable improvement in wool production. In 1878 
Vermont exhibited seventy-eight fleeces at the Paris Exposition, 
which showed 22 per cent wool to live weight, thirty of the best 
ones showing 25.2 per cent, the best six 30.1, and one up to 
36.6 per cent. At a public shearing at Middlebury, Vermont, in 
1882, fifty-four rams and ewes averaged 23.3 per cent unwashed 
wool to live weight. 

The fineness of Merino fiber has doubtless improved since the 
introduction of this sheep to America. A set of measurements 
of twenty-four sheep given by Dr. Cutting showed an average 
diameter of fiber for rams and ewes of -^1^9 9 inch, the rams aver- 
aging ^0^4^ and the ewes j-^Q-g, the finest ewe fiber being yg'gy 
inch. Professor Hawkesworth gives interesting diameter measure- 
ments of Australian Merino wools,^ of which the following are 
from noted breeding animals : Bismark, ^3^41 ^^^^ > Royal Simon, 
yjijj.y inch ; Young Golden Horn, yo^g inch ; Jubilee II, ^o^e 
inch; Magic ("a pure Vermont") j^~^ inch; Daisy (a champion 
Vermont ewe, bred in Australia, " showing a beautiful crimpy 

1 Alfred Hawkesworth, Australian Sheep and Wool. Sydney, 1906. 



THE AMERICAN MERINO 503 

formation throughout") j-^q-q inch. Dr. WilHam McMurtrie, who 
conducted extensive investigations on v^^ool for the United States 
Department of Agriculture, gives the average diameter of Merino 
wool at ^ Jg^ inch ; the Southdown, g |g ; the Lincoln, gi-g^ ; and 
the Cotswold, gJ g inch. 

The crimp and elasticity of Merino wool is of the first class, 
and the crimp is especially characteristic of this fiber. This is 
shown in minute waves or serrations in the fiber. Hawkes- 
worth states that in a superior Merino wool there are 24 to 30 
crimps to the inch and sometimes more. In the English breeds 
the Southdown, which is the finest, contains 14 to 18 crimps 
to the inch and the Lincoln 2 to 3. The crimp is an index 
to the elasticity of the fiber, its tensile strength, and quality. 
Hawkesworth says : 

The Merino wool fiber possesses an elasticity of quite a peculiar kind alto- 
gether, that of crimpling. If you break a fiber of the true Merino in two pieces, 
they not only take their own natural form which they possessed before, but go 
far beyond that, inasmuch as the curves formed by this broken fiber shrink 
much closer than they were before. The closer the crimps of a marrowless 
fiber, and the greater the elasticity and extensibility, the more powerful will be 
its crimpling in the above-described wool fiber ; science has not accounted for 
it yet, and all explanations concerning the same are only hypotheses. The 
quality of the Merino wool is greatly valued by the clothing manufacturers. 

The mutton qualities of the American Merino are inferior. 

These sheep are muscular in type, carry but little fat, and when 
pure-bred are of but secondary importance as mutton. 

The crossbred or grade Merino is not improved for wool pro- 
duction, but by mating with middle-wool blood a better mutton 
sheep is produced, though shearing less wool and being less 
hardy. Sheep of the Delaine type are more or less bred to 
the American type, thus reducing the folds but not seriously 
affecting the wool-producing value. In Australia for many years 
the American type was preferred to the smooth-bodied Merino, 
but in recent years the reverse is the case. In order, however, 
to maintain high-shearing qualities, studs of American Merinos 
must be maintained to thicken up the fleece of the smoother sort 
and keep up the weight. In New Zealand the Romney Marsh 
and Merino are crossed extensively, the crossbred withstanding, 



504 



SHEEP 



says Mr. George A, Brown, the bleak climate of southern 
New Zealand better than any other combination, Mr, Brown says 
that in Australia the most successful flocks of crossbred sheep 
he has seen were from crossing long-wool rams on Merino ewes. 
The half-bred ewes are culled as though pure-bred, and those 
selected for breeding are drafted into two lots, — one of long wool 
and the other of Merino type. Merino rams are then used on 
long- wool type ewes, and long-wool rams on Merino-type ewes. 
Every year this selection is followed out, and a very even type 




,"• ^, 'i-^if>-i 



Fig. 224. A vuiy clioice American Merino ewe, Albert Peck 412, showing folds 

to the extreme. Her lamb stands in front of her. Owned by S. M. Cleaver, 

Delaware, Ohio. From photograph by the author 



of sheep obtained. On large estates famous for crossbreds, studs 
of Merino and long-wool rams are kept for this kind of mating, 
which produces a class of sheep in favor with the butcher and 
the wool of which sells well. The Corriedale (see Chapter LXI), 
an Australian product, which since 19 14 has been attracting 
some interest in the western United States, is the ultimate prod- 
uct of a crossing process based on Merino ewes and Lincoln or 
Leicester rams. The French have developed an important sort 
in France, known as the Dishley Merino, the result of using 
Leicester rams on Merino ewes. This line of breeding in France 
was established early in the nineteenth century. 



THE AMERICAN MERINO 505 

The adaptability of the American Merino is great. On the 
rough mountain pastures of New England and on the ranges of 
the Far West it seems equally at home, though a better fleece is 
produced in the northeast than in the southwest, the drier cli- 
mate being more unfavorable. On the richer soils of the Middle 
West the Merino attains more size than in the Far West. The 
American Merino is extremely hardy and thrives on scanty pasture 
and in cold weather. Grazing in large flocks on the plains, it is 
specially adapted to the care of the shepherd. Larger flocks of 
Merinos may be kept together more successfully than is possible 
with the other breeds. Merinos are very active and rustle for 
themselves under unfavorable conditions. They also suffer less 
from animal parasites than the mutton breeds. 

The breeding qualities of the American Merino are rather 
inferior. The lambs of the heavy-fleeced sort are often weak 
when dropped ; the ewes are not very prolific and are not supe- 
rior milkers. In 1903 the late C. S. Chapman, for years one of 
Ohio's best-known breeders, wrote : 

For many years previous to 1880 my father and I were breeders of the 
heavy-folded Merinos, having ewes shearing 18 to 20 pounds each, and using 
rams shearing 30 to 36 pounds each, from the flocks of the best breeders in 
Vermont. We had our sheep bred so strongly to the production of wool that 
we could not raise over 50 to 60 per cent of the lamb crop. They (the lambs) 
would be so feeble when dropped that in a majority of cases you could not tell 
for twenty-four hours whether they had vitality enough to live. 

The Merinos, however, breed far longer than the average sheep 
and raise a fair percentage of lambs. 

The early-maturing qualities of the American Merino are of 
secondary character, the lambs developing more slowly than the 
mutton breeds. To do well they should come early in spring, be 
given comfortable shelter and care, and be fed liberally to secure 
size and stamina. Many breeders have their ewes lamb in April 
and May, so that the lambs go into the hot weather of July and 
August, and between dry pastures, stomach worms, flies, and heat 
do not come on well and consequently mature very slowly. 

Important subtypes or families of the Merino exist to-day. 
Among these are the Delaine and the Rambouillet, which are 
discussed separately and in some detail in special chapters. 



5o6 



SHEEP 



Tliere are also several other families, which are now of less 
importance than formerly, notably the Atwood and Paular. The 
former was established by Stephen Atwood and later was espe- 
cially promoted by Edwin Hammond. It was a type having many 
folds and was very popular from 1845 to 1895. The Paular 
comes from Spanish stock imported by Andrew Cocks and later 
improved in the hands of Jehiel Beedle, Tyler Stickney, Erastus 

Robinson, and the 
Rich family of Ver- 
mont. This also pos- 
sessed many folds and 
a large amount of 
yolk in the fleece. 
Both the Atwood and 
Paular families are 
considered important 
strains of the Ameri- 
can Merino stock. 
The Saxon Merino at 
one time had some 
popularity in America, 
especially so in New 
York, Pennsylvania, 
and Ohio, but this 
family has now com- 
paratively few pure- 
bred representatives 
and these mainly in 
Pennsylvania. It deteriorated so in weight of fleece and con- 
stitution as to be generally discarded for a more robust sort. 

Some famous Merino rams are worthy of note on account of 
their influence in improving the breed. Among these are the 
following: Bolivar, born in 1820, died in 1834, owned by W. R. 
Dickinson and others in Ohio; Consul, bred about 1838 by 
William Jarvis ; Stickney 's Consul, bred by Jarvis in 1835; 
California, bred in 1858 by Victor Wright; Comet, bred in 1861 
by W. R. Sanford of Vermont and later taken to Ohio ; Eureka, 
by Comet, and Kilpatrick, by Comet, both bred by Sanford ; 




Fig. 225. A polled Merino ram of light B type. 

Polled rams are not common and are not in great 

demand. Bred by S. M. Cleaver, Delaware, Ohio. 

From photograph by the author 



THE AMERICAN MERINO 



507 



Wooster, bred in 1849 by Edwin Hammond, sired Young 
Matchless and Old Greasy; Gold Drop, bred in 1861 by Edwin 
Hammond, who was several times offered $10,000 for him and 
who valued him at $25,000 ; Stowell's Sweepstakes, bred in i860 
by Edwin Hammond ; Golden Fleece, by Stowell's Sweepstakes, 
bred in 1862, said to have earned his owner $20,000; General 
Fremont, bred in 1865 by Tyler Stickney ; Bismark, owned by 
H. C.Burwell of Ver- 
mont, that was sweep- 
stakes Merino in 1876 
at the Centennial Ex- 
position ; Banker, bred 
in 1875 by V. Rich of 
Vermont ; Rarus, bred 
in 1874 by George 
Hammond, winner in 
1880 of first prize as 
a sire at the Inter- 
national Sheep Show 
at Philadelphia ; Don 
Dudley, bred in 1891 
by J. P. Ray of New 
York ; More Quality, 
bred in i898by R. D. 
Williamson of Ohio, 
premier Merino sire 

at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904 ; and Gold Coin 
3013, bred by S. M. Cleaver of Ohio, distinguished as a great 
show individual and one of the most outstanding sires of recent 
years, his sons Gold Coin Jr. and Diamond Dust being remark- 
able examples of the A type. Gold Coin Jr. in 19 17, in a public 
shearing at the Ohio State University, yielded a fourteen-and-one- 
half-months-old fleece weighing 47^ pounds. 

A notable American Merino show-ring victory worthy of record 
here occurred in 1863, when George Campbell of Vermont ex- 
hibited 12 Vermont-bred Merinos at the International Exhibi- 
tion at Hamburg, Germany. There were 1771 sheep entered in 
competition, 913 being Merinos from every part of Europe, — 




Fig. 226. Diamond Dust, sired by Gold Coin 3013. 
This Merino ram is an unusually fine example of 
the A type. He is held by his breeder and owner, 
S. M. Cleaver of Delaware, Ohio. From photograph 
by the author 



5o8 SHEEP 

France, Italy, Austria, Russia, and Germany being represented. 
The I 2 sheep shown by Mr. Campbell were the only ones from 
the United States, and these took three premiums, two firsts 
and one second, one first being for length of staple and one for 
weight of fleece. These prize sheep were later sold to Count 
Shen Thors of Silesia for $5000. This was a great testimonial to 
the superiority of American Merinos. 

Remarkable prices for Merino sheep have been paid on many 
occasions, dating back over a century. In 1808 James Wadsworth 
paid Colonel Humphreys $1000 for a ram, and in March, 18 10, 
the latter sold 2 rams and 2 ewes to a Kentucky buyer for $6000, 
This year (18 10) there was a Merino mania on, and many 
sheep changed hands at phenomenal prices. On September 22, 
1 8 10, an auction of 215 Paular Merinos at F. B. Winthrop's, 
Home's Neck, New York, brought ^57,000, an average of $265 
each. Many thousand Merinos were imported in 1810 and 181 1 
and were largely sold at auction, bringing abnormally high prices. 
Then came a collapse, and Merinos were sold for a song. Again, 
in the early sixties, high prices prevailed, and many sheep sold 
at thousands of dollars each. In recent years the American 
Merino has not brought prices of special note in comparison with 
those of early days. In Australasia the highest prices paid for 
sheep of any kind have been paid for rams of this breed. The 
following prices are conversions from British guineas into 
American dollars. The ram President, one of the most noted 
animals in Australian flock history, sold for $8000, and several 
of his sons sold for $5000 each. The following rams also sold 
in Australia for the given prices : Sir Thomas, $3400 ; Sir Thomas, 
2d, $2020; Golden Horn, $2800; Golden Horn 2d, $3150; 
Golden Tom, ^2500. At the annual stud-sheep sales at Sydney 
in July, 1910, the ram Dandie Dinmont brought $7812. In 191 5 
the Bundemar estate, Trangie, New South Wales, sold the 
two-year-old ram Lord Charles for ;^ 10,000 to go to South 
Australia. This ram was bred in the famous Wanganella flock, 
from which many great stud sheep have come. It is said that 
the progeny of the sire of Lord Charles have already brought 
$50,000. Five of his ewes brought $500 each. As a culmination 
of high prices, at the Sydney ram sales in July, 191 8, a ram bred 



THE AMERICAN MERINO 



509 



by Thomas Millear was sold to Lord Brothers, Queensland, for 
;^ 1 2,600, a VVanganella ram brought $13,125, while the Bundemar 
ram Prince Charlie, consigned by the F. E. Body estate of 
New South Wales, was sold for $15,120 to Maurice Collins of 
South Australia, the highest price ever paid for a sheep up to 
this time. Such figures dwarf into insignificance the prices paid 
for even the better-class show sires of America. 

The distribution of the Merino has been general all over the 
civilized world where sheep husbandry is followed at all. Australia, 
New Zealand, Germany, and the United States are the leading 




Fig. 227. American Merino ewes on blue-grass pasture. Owned by A. T. Gamber, 
Wakeman, Ohio. From photograph by the author 

countries breeding sheep of the American Merino type. These 
sheep have been bred in all parts of the United States, but are 
not so popular as they were half a century ago, now that mutton 
is more in demand and wool has depreciated in value. Further, 
sheep of the American type, with numerous folds, are objected 
to on account of the difficulty in shearing, so that smooth-bodied 
Merinos are more popular than the American. In other words, it 
is not a utility sheep in the estimation of the present-day shep- 
herd and so is steadily falling off in its clientage and importance 
of distribution. At the present time Ohio, Vermont, New York, 
Michigan, Wisconsin, and Missouri are the states containing the 
principal flocks of this class. Many Merinos have been exported 
from Vermont and Ohio to South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, 
Tasmania, and South America. 



5IO 



SHEEP 



The promotion of Merino sheep in times past has been vested 
in various organizations. Tlie Vermont Merino Sheep Breeders' 
Association, organized in 1879, pubhshed four volumes of flock 
books and registered over 300,000 sheep, mainly as flocks. The 
United States Merino Sheep Register was organized in Ohio in 
1876 and published a volume of its flock book the same year. 
In 1882 the Ohio Spanish Merino Sheep Breeders' Association 
was organized at Columbus and published its first volume in 1885. 
The National Record of the American Merino Sheep Register 
was organized in 1881 in Wisconsin, the first volume of the flock 
book being published in 1882. The New York Merino Sheep 
Breeders' Association was organized in 1879 and the Michigan 
Merino Association in 1880. In other states associations for re- 
cording Merino sheep also organized, but these have never become 
very active factors in the Merino industry. In 1904 about nine- 
teen Merino associations of different kinds, organized to register 
sheep, were said to be in existence. Most of them were feeble 
affairs, doing little or no business. In January, 1906, a confer- 
ence of Merino breeders, representing different registry associa- 
tions, was held at Columbus, Ohio, for the purpose of consolidating 
into one strong organization. This resulted in the incorporation 
of the American and Delaine-Merino Record Association, By 
official action the Standard Delaine, the International Delaine, 
and the Improved Spanish Delaine associations merged into the 
new organization. In 1908, at a conference held at the New York 
State Fair between representatives of the Vermont Merino Sheep 
Breeders' Association, the New York Merino Sheep Breeders' 
Association, and the Ohio Spanish Merino Sheep Breeders' 
Association, it was agreed to merge these, and in January, 1909, 
at Columbus, Ohio, these three consolidated to form the Vermont, 
New York, and Ohio Merino Sheep Breeders' Association, This 
association was short-lived and in 1916 consolidated with the 
American and Delaine-Merino Record Association, which at pres- 
ent is the strongest Merino organization in America. Eleven 
volumes of the flock book of this association have been published 
up to 1919 and 123,503 sheep recorded. 



CHAPTER XLV 

THE DELAINE MERINO 

The word "delaine" is derived from two French words, de, sig- 
nifying "of" or "from," and laine, meaning "wool" or "woolen." 
The word in the woolen trade indicates a class of wool used to make 
fine, untwilled worsted dress goods. A combing process takes 
place, in which the fibers of wool are drawn parallel with each 
other and spun at full length in the yarn, thus securing the full 
strength of the fiber and making the strongest and most durable of 
woolen dress goods. This was due to an invention of E. R. Mudge 
of Boston. Previous to this time only coarse wools were combed, 
fine wools being carded, a process inferior to combing. 

The origin of the Delaine Merino traces back to the Humphreys 
importation of 1802 and that of R. W. Meade, about 1820. From 
these flocks certain selections were made and types gradually 
evolved, breeders generally keeping in mind both mutton and wool 
production. These types, or families, existed under several names. 
They have been established in the main by selection, and in each 
case a type of sheep has been sought that showed some distinctive 
mutton character and was free of folds. C type Merinos are in 
fact true Delaines, and what is known as a light B type (that is, 
one with very slight development of folds) in the opinion of many 
would no doubt be regarded as a Delaine. There are, however, 
no remarkable differences between these families ; in fact, they are 
much alike. 

The Dickinson Delaine was named after William R, Dickinson 
of Steubenville, Ohio, who was an extensive breeder and improver 
of Merinos. About 1807 or 1808 Thomas Rotch, a Quaker, 
moved from Connecticut to Stark County, Ohio, bringing with him 
a small flock of sheep, some of which were from the Humphreys 
importation. In 1809 Mr. Dickinson became the owner of some 
of these imported sheep of Mr. Rotch, which he kept by them- 
selves and carefully bred. In 1820 Adam Hildebrand became 

5" 



512 



SHEEP 



superintendent of Mr. Dickinson's farm, getting acquainted with 
the sheep thereon and the breeding operations. In his flock was 
a smooth-bodied ram named Bohvar that had very distinct indi- 
vidual merit and was a great prize winner at the shows. In 1830 
the Dickinson flock was sold, and Hildebrand secured some of 
the best sheep. In 1823 James McDowell became an employee of 
Mr. Dickinson and later went into the service of Mr. Hildebrand. 
A part of his remuneration was to be "a selection of the best 
two ewe lambs bred by Mr. Dickinson, descended from the select 
Humphreys flock and sired by Bolivar," These lambs, according 




Fig. 22S. A group of Dickinson Delaine Merino ewes bred by the late H. G. 
McDowell and very typical of this family. F"rom photograph, by courtesy 

of Mr. McDowell 



to Mr. McDowell, were the foundation stock of the Dickinson 
•Merinos, and the McDowell family of Stark County, Ohio, notably 
the late H. G. McDowell, has been the leading improver of this 
family. Dickinson Merinos are still being bred in a small way 
in eastern Ohio, but the family has never been popular. 

Characteristics of Dickinson Delaines. The standard of excel- 
lence specifies that the Dickinson Delaine shall have a deep, round, 
wide, and long body, showing mutton capacity, carrying heavy, 
thick flesh, the top and under lines being straight, and the skin 
being smooth, pink, and free of folds. The Jiead may have small 
horns, but a polled head is preferred ; the nose and small ears 
should be covered with silky hair. The fleece should be from 
three to five inches long, of XX or XXX fine Delaine combing 



THE DELAINE MERINO 513 

grade, and should cover the body well. The ram's fleece of one 
year's growth should weigh 15 to 25 pounds and the ewes 10 to 
I 5 pounds, unwashed. The fleece carries but a moderate amount 
of yolk, but enough for good quality. The sise of the Dickinson 
Delaine is of the large Merino type, the rams reaching 200 pounds 
and the ewes 150. Wonderful, one of the best-known Dickinson 
rams, bred by H. G. McDowell, weighed 200 pounds when two 
years old, and his fleece weighed 26 pounds. The breeders claim 
superior mutton quality for this family. 

The Black-Top Spanish Merino. The foundation of this family 
extends back to the 1802 importation of Colonel Humphreys. 
In 1 82 1 William Berry of Washington County, Pennsylvania, 
purchased from W. R. Dickinson of Ohio a few ewes and a 
choice ram of Spanish breeding that traced through the Rotch 
sheep to Humphreys' importation. These sheep Mr. Berry bred 
with care and developed a large flock. He bred in family lines at 
first, and then crossed the families, endeavoring to breed a large, 
heavy-shearing, fine-wool sheep with smooth body of mutton 
value. In his breeding he decided that those sheep with the 
darkest outer covering of wool or most oil had the hardiest con- 
stitutions and most vigor and were less affected by change of 
climate than those with fleeces of lighter color. Hence he selected 
the darker sort and called them Black Tops. In 1847 his flock 
numbered about 500 head. These sheep he divided equally be- 
tween his sons Matthew and William. The former maintained 
his flock in pure Black-Top lines, and William did the same until 
1856, when he introduced Vermont Merino blood with such 
detrimental results that he eventually disposed of his flock. The 
Black-Top Spanish Merino Sheep Breeders' Association held an 
annual meeting at Washington, Pennsylvania, January 16, 19 19, 
and planned for the publication of Volume VII of the flock book. 

The Improved Black-Top Spanish Merino is a family that has 
its . foundation in ten ewes purchased in 1844 of George Craig- 
head by Robert Johnston of Washington County, Pennsylvania. 
These ewes were bred to Craighead rams until 1847, after which, 
until 1853, rams bred by Alexander McConnell were used, the 
latter obtaining his foundation stock from W. R. Dickinson. 
From 1853 to 1867 Mr. Johnston used only pure Black-Top rams 



514 SHEEP 

in his flock, and from 1867 to 1884 he used rams bought of 
Matthew Berry, In 1850 George Black of Washington County 
purchased twenty-five Black-Top ewes running back to Dickinson 
stock, and by use of Berry and Johnston and other rams estab- 
lished a Black-Top flock that is foundation stock in this family. 
This Improved Black-Top family has been regarded by its pro- 
moters as more carefully selected and bred and of higher 
standard than the Black-Top of original foundation. 

Characteristics of the Black-Top Spanish Delaine. It is difficult 
to distinguish this from the other Delaines, of which it is in fact 
a family. The size is perhaps a trifle larger and the fleece weighs 
somewhat heavier. The Improved Black-Top standard requires 
a weight for mature rams of at least 180 pounds and 130 for 
ewes. Sheep of this family also have a somewhat darker exterior 
to the fleece and are not quite so heavily wooled over the head 
as other Delaines. The fleece should be from three to four 
inches long, and the rams should shear from 13 to 14 pounds 
and the ewes from 7 to 12 pounds of "brook washed" wool. 
Emphasis is placed on the mutton character of this family, which 
has long been bred with that feature preeminent. Improved 
Black-Top breeders have regarded their sheep as very similar to 
the Southdown in size and form, while still maintaining the fleece 
of the Merino. 

The National Delaine Merino. About 1820 R. W. Meade, at 
one time minister to Spain, imported some Merinos to the 
United States, which were placed on the farm of Alexander 
Wilson near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1821 or thereabouts 
Alexander Reed of Washington County, Pennsylvania, bought 
these Meade sheep and some other Merinos and placed them on 
his farm. P>om this Meade importation the Delaine type was 
first developed, tracing back to Reed stock ; but the family was 
mainly established through the careful breeding operation of John 
McNary, W. H. McNary, J. S. McNary, Ebenezer McClelland, 
George Craighead, George Murray, and William Brownlee. In 
connection with the development of this family, R. H. Russell 
of Pennsylvania and C. H. Beall of West Virginia played an 
important part. In 1862 a ram of Spanish and Black-Top blood, 
purchased from Beall, w-as used in the flock formerly owned by 



THE DELAINE MERINO 



515 



McClelland, then in the hands of his sons. In 1877 R, H. Russell, 
who began his flock in 1852 with fifty Black-Top Merinos from 
William Davis, with C. J. McNary purchased a Spanish ram 
named Victor, bred by J. M. Miller, which was used in their 
flocks. Both of these rams were very prepotent and unusually 
fine individuals. The descendants of these two rams nicked to 
great advantage, resulting in superior Delaines that were long 
known as Victor-Beall Delaine Merinos. It can thus be seen 
that this Delaine fam- 
ily was developed by a 
combination of Black- 
Top and Spanish blood 
or a combination of 
smooth-bodied with 
wrinkled Merinos. 

Characteristics of 
National, Standard, or 
Victor-Beall Delaines. 
These are essentially 
like the Dickinson 
Delaine. The body is 
smooth, excepting for 
slight folds at the neck 
and perhaps at the 

breast in the form of an apron. The rams may or may not have 
horns. According to S, M. Cleaver, at one time secretary of the 
Standard Delaine Association, writing in 1890: 




Fin. 229. Chapmans 1394, a fine type of Delaine 
Merino ram, owned by the Ohio Agricultural Ex- 
periment Station, Wooster. From photograph by 
the author 



The demand of the times calls for a plain body growing a Delaine staple. 
Long experience teaches us that it is almost impossible to maintain density and 
weight of fleece when wrinkles are entirely done away with ; for this reason it 
is important to insist on the blood of wrinkly sheep in selecdng the sires while 
striving to keep the body clear of wrinkles, and the neck nearly so. It is well 
to pay more attention to a good broad back and deep, round quarters, ensuring 
a type easily kept in order. White the fleece will not be as heavy as in the 
wrinkly type, it should weigh from seven to nine pounds, and sell without any 
reduction. This will equal an oily fleece of twelve to fourteen pounds, with a 
third taken off by the wool buyer. Plain sheep, as a rule, are better milkers, 
more careful mothers, have better feet, and are more easily prepared for the 
butcher's block. 



5i6 SHEEP 

Delaines of this family should have a staple three inches long 
for twelve months' growth. Rams at maturity should weigh at 
least 150 pounds and ewes not less than 100 pounds. 

The maintenance of Delaine or C type in these families is 
through selection or by introducing new blood, in which as a rule 
the ram is of the B type. For example, one may visit the flocks 
of prominent Merino breeders in which both American and 
Delaine sheep are found. The former are mated with the latter, 
according to circumstances, in order to regulate type and wool 
production. If a Delaine ewe of excellent mutton type has too 
open and light a fleece she will be bred to an American ram of 
B type possessing high wool-producing qualities, with the expec- 
tation of obtaining a Delaine with a better fleece. More folds 
may exist at the neck and breast, but not enough to furnish seri- 
ous objection on the part of the Delaine breeder. The important 
thing is to keep up the size and mutton form without reducing 
the amount and character of the wool below a satisfactory grade. 
This calls for a fleece to grade XX or better and have a staple 
of superior length, diameter, strength, and crimp. There should 
also be plenty of free-flowing oil, essential for a high-grade 
fleece. From a recent interesting pamphlet on the Merino,^ by 
S. M. Cleaver, one of the greatest constructive breeders of the 
Merino, the following abstracts are made. Breeders of the C type 
Merino find great difficulty in uniting a satisfactory mutton form 
and weight of fleece in the absence of any corrugations in the 
skin. Folds are associated with density and weight of fleece. No 
family of sheep ever attained a higher quality of oil among the 
plain-breeding than did the Berry breeders of Pennsylvania. Very 
early in the history of Merino breeding in this country their flocks 
attained a great reputation for having a dark surface. There were 
other C type flocks in the country that produced a longer staple, 
but not a higher-class wool. The Wells and Dickinson flocks of 
Merinos never showed the high-class dark surface that the Berry 
breeding did, although as a rule they had a little longer staple 
— and possibly a little more density of fleece — with somewhat 
better covering. Originally they were as one flock from the same 
importation. After the flock was divided each part was bred purely 

1 Merino History and Merino Breeding. Delaware, Ohio, 191S. 



THE DELAINE MERINO 517 

within its own blood lines for many years. During the nineties 
many of the wrinkly flocks were crossed with the plain-bred sheep 
to bring about a more practical wool-mutton Merino ; also, many 
of the plainer flocks were crossed up with the wrinkly rams to 
give a greater weight of fleece. Satisfactory results were attained 
in each case. 

The mutton value of the Delaine or C type has long been 
emphasized and is an important argument advanced by breeders 
in its behalf. The wethers mature fairly early and sell at a com- 
paratively satisfactory price, being in demand on account of not 
carr)'ing too much fat. They will not dress out quite so well as 
the true mutton type, but show a fair per cent of carcass to offal. 
In 1882 McClelland Brothers of Pennsylvania sheared 100 three- 
year-old wethers that averaged 1 1 pounds washed Delaine wool, 
after which the sheep weighed on the market i io|^ pounds each. 
The feeding of Delaine wethers has been made a specialty by 
many breeders in eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and West 
Virginia, where the mutton has been regarded as of very excel- 
lent quality. The Ohio Experiment Station has produced a very 
superior class of Delaine mutton sheep on its branch station at 
Carpenter, using large, strong, C type rams. 

The breeding quality of the Delaine is much superior to that 
of the A type Merino. The mothers are more prolific, yield more 
milk, and make better nurses. The lambs. from C type ewes are 
larger and stronger at birth and require less attention than do 
those of the A type. 

The crossbred or grade Delaine is valued on the range. Pure- 
bred rams used on range ewes give a better mutton sheep and 
are more suited to the range trade than where American Merino 
rams are used. In fact, in recent years the Western-range shep- 
herd has objected to sheep with folds and has put a premium 
on a Merino of the light B or the C type. Many Delaine rams 
have been used in the West, and the fact is, a large percentage 
of the mutton sheep produced west of the Missouri are essen- 
tially Delaine in character. At the Ohio State University very 
superior mutton has been produced in using pure-bred South- 
down rams on ewes of Delaine type, the cross resulting in an 
improvement in the mutton form and a fleece of superior 



5i8 SHEEP 

quality and weight. Delaine ewes mate to special advantage with 
mutton rams as has been well demonstrated in common practice. 
The Delaine as a feeder ranks at the head of the Merino 
group, though it is not equal to the mutton breeds. The lambs 
at twelve months, when not forced, weigh about eighty pounds. 




Fig. 230. A Delaine Merino ewe of superior character, exhibited by C. H. Bell of 
Ohio. From photograph, by courtesy of the A'ational Stock man and Farmer 

The adaptability of the Delaine is not equal to that of the 
A type, for it lacks the rustling quality to some extent, yet the 
difference is not important. Delaines will do well among the hills 
and rougher lands and will thrive where mutton breeds would 
not do so well. They came into their own among the uplands 
of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, and are still produced 
in large numbers on these same grassy hillsides. On the range 
lands of the West they are valued for their adaptability to feed 
and climate as well as for their flocking habit, which makes the 
care of them comparatively easy. 



THE DELAINE MERINO 519 

The distribution of the Delaine is widespread in the United 
States. Many flocks are found in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Vir- 
ginia, New York, Michigan, and Wisconsin, The fine-wool type 
of sheep east of the Mississippi, however, is not holding its 
own, the mutton breeds taking its place. The Delaine, however, 
being essentially a mutton as well as wool sheep, is bound to 
have many adherents. Sheep of this type are also bred more or 
less in Texas and the Southwest, and in the northwestern states 
of Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Idaho. 

The promotion of Delaine Merino sheep began in an official 
way with the organization of the Victor-Beall Delaine Merino 
Sheep Breeders' Association in Pennsylvania in 1882. In 1887 
this name was changed to the National Delaine Merino Sheep 
Breeders' Association, which was still in existence in 19 18, with 
headquarters in Washington County, Pennsylvanin. In 1890 the 
Standard Delaine Spanish Merino Sheep Breeders' Association 
was organized in Pennsylvania, and the same year the Improved 
Delaine Merino Sheep Breeders' Association was incorporated 
at Columbus, Ohio. In 1882 the Ohio Spanish Delaine Merino 
Sheep Breeders' Association was organized. In 1883 the Black- 
Top Spanish Merino Sheep Breeders' Association organized in 
Washington County, Pennsylvania, and in 1885 the Improved 
Black-Top Merino Association organized in the same state. In 
1884 the Dickinson Delaine Merino Sheep Breeders' Association 
was organized in Ohio. Each of these associations published a 
few flock books and registered thousands of sheep. The result 
of so many associations for registration and keeping records of 
Delaine Merinos caused considerable discussion and criticism 
for the lack of harmony among the breeders. In January, 1906, a 
conference of Delaine Merino breeders met at Columbus, Ohio, 
consisting of members of a number of different registry associa- 
tions, on which occasion it was agreed that consolidation was 
desirable. As a result the Improved Delaine, Standard Delaine, 
and International Delaine associations consolidated to form the 
American Delaine-Merino Record Association. The object of 
the new association is to promote the purity of breeding, register- 
ing, and preserving the American Merino sheep without special 
emphasis being placed upon the type recorded. 



CHAPTER XLVI 

THE RAMBOUILLET 

The native home of the Rambouillet is in France, in the north- 
ern part, not far from Paris, l^he country is gently rolhng, the 
soil is generally of a calcareous nature, and the climate is quite 
temperate, being warm in summer and not severe in winter. 
Grasses, wheat and oats, and a variety of crops grow in this region. 

The ancestry of the Rambouillet is Spanish, this being a mem- 
ber of the great Merino family. The people of Spain in early 
days produced more wool than their factories could consume, so 
the surplus was exported, France buying heavily. The French 
government anticipated an increase of factories in Spain and con- 
sequent restriction on exports of wool from that country. This 
led the French to try to improve their flocks and produce enough 
fine wool at home to meet domestic demands. In 1783 Louis XVI 
bought a large estate at the village of Rambouillet, some forty 
miles west of Paris, and here he established a farm. In 1786 
M. Gilbert was sent to Spain and selected a flock of Spanish 
Merinos representing several different families ; he landed ^,66 at 
Rambouillet, 3 1 8 being ewes. In 1 799 Gilbert again went to Spain, 
where, after much difficulty, another importation was secured, of 
which 237 reached Rambouillet in May, 1801. According to 
Gilbert, who collected these sheep and died in Spain while doing 
the work, the second lot was not the equal of the first. 

The improvement of the Rambouillet in the hands of the P>ench 
government dates back over a century and resulted in a smooth- 
bodied sheep of large size. Much of this development of over a 
hundred years has undoubtedly been accomplished by selection. 
During the time France has bred these sheep many careful rec- 
ords have been made of weights of the sheep and fleece, of 
length and diameter of wool, of fecundity, mutton development, 
etc. Probably no other such long-continued records regarding a 
breed arc extant. The results of the work were a gradual increase 

520 



THE RAMBOUILLET 



521 



in size, in weight and quality of fleece, in a better mutton form, 
and in more hardiness than had their Spanish ancestors. While 
the claim has been made that the stock at Rambouillet has been 
kept pure, in 1900 the author saw rams in the government fiock 
which were heavy with folds, of marked A character, and dif- 
ferent from the type the French advocated. The Rambouillet 
was also developed by private parties in France and Germany. 
In 1800 M. Victor Gilbert of Wideville, France, started a flock 
from one ram and eight ewes bought of the government, and this 




Fig. 231. A dignified gateway on tlie guvernment farm at Rambouillet, France. 
From photograph by the author 

flock was maintained for a century in the same family by a son 
and a grandson named Victor. In northern Germany the breed 
was later introduced and was much developed, notably in the re- 
gion south of the Baltic Sea and north and northeast of Berlin. 
Baron F. von Homeyer of Ranzin, Pomerania, in 1850 purchased 
some sheep of the flock at Rambouillet, and with these as foun- 
dation stock became the greatest German breeder and materially 
increased the size and improved the weight and quality of fleece. 
The introduction of the Rambouillet to the United States first 
occurred in 1840, under the name of French Merino, by which 
title it was generally known until about 1889. The first importa- 
tion appears to have been made in 1840 by D. C. Collins of 



522 



SHEEP 



Hartford, Connecticut, consisting of 2 rams and 20 ewes from 
the government flock of France, The head ram, named Grandee, 
sheared 14 pounds and was regarded as a very fine specimen. 
In 1846 this flock witli its increase was sold to parties in Ver- 
mont. In May, 1846, John A. Taintor of Connecticut imported 
2 rams and 7 ewes which he purchased of Victor Gilbert. Follow- 
ing this, Taintor made several other importations. In 1848 John 
D. Patterson of Westfield, New York, on the western border of 
that state, made an importation including many superior sheep, 




Fig. 232. One of the sheep barns on the government farm at Rambouillet, France. 
From photograph by the author 



his ewes weighing from 120 to 150 pounds and some of his 
rams up to 300 pounds. In 185 1 several different importations 
of prominence were made. F. M. Rotch of New York is said 
to have made an importation with Taintor of Connecticut. That 
same year S. W. Jewett of Middlebury, Vermont, imported 18 
rams and 82 ewes from Victor Gilbert, and George Campbell 
of Westminster, Vermont, also made an importation. In 1851 
a company of Ohio breeders imported about 50 head selected 
from private flocks in France by A. P. Howard. Some of the 
present Ohio flocks trace back to this importation as well as to 
a later one of 188 1. In 185 i the late R. C. Moulton of Wood- 
stock, Ohio, established a flock of French Merinos, which he 



THE RAMBOUILLET 



523 



bred continuously for over half a century and which, perhaps, had 
a longer record than any other American flock of the breed. 
In 1855 A. R. Seymour of Fayette County, Ohio, bought 2 rams 
and 25 ewes of Jewett. Along about 1855 a Mr. Downs 
of Calhoun County, Michigan, bought a few of the Patterson 
sheep. The claim has been made that a Mr. Stanton of Michigan 
purchased from Mr. Patterson, from which stock has descended 




Vic. 233. A Rambouillet ram, second in class at the Ohio State Fair, 1905. Bred 

and exhibited by Max Chapman, Marysville, Ohio. This is a C type sheep. 

From photograph by the author 

the flocks of some of the prominent Michigan breeders, but a let- 
ter before the author, written by Mr. Patterson in 1893, does not 
corroborate this claim. Between 1856 and i860 most of the sheep 
owned by the latter gentleman were sold to parties in California, 
from which stock the French Merino sheep of the Pacific slope 
states descend. The Blaco-Glide flock of California is said to 
trace back to this Patterson blood. What are now known as 
Franco-Merinos trace back into early Michigan flocks of years ago. 
These early French Merinos were not the success anticipated, not 



524 SHEEP 

being hardy nor suited to American conditions, and the interest 
declined along in the sixties, to be revived about thirty years 
later. Reference has been made to the Von Homeyer family of 
Rambouillets produced in Pomerania, Germany. In 1880 W. G. 
Markham of New York State, when on a visit to wool-producing 
countries, inspected the Von Homeyer flock and looked on it with 
much favor. In 1882 he received a gift of a ram and 2 ewes 
from Von Homeyer, and these were the first of this German 
breeding to be brought to America. In 1885 Markham received 
7 rams from the same source, 2 of which were shipped to 
Michigan, where they produced material improvement in the 
flocks where used. In 1890 Thomas Wyckoff of Orchard Lake, 
Michigan, purchased a pair of Rambouillets from Baron von 
Homeyer, these being the first brought to Michigan. Again, 
in 1 89 1, Wyckoff imported 7 rams and 16 ewes from the 
Von Homeyer flock, and these were distributed among the Ram- 
bouillet men of Michigan. In 1893 Mr. Markham supervised an 
exhibit of Von Homeyer sheep at the World's Columbian Expo- 
sition at Chicago which attracted widespread attention by their great 
size and superior merit. Many large importations of Rambouillets 
were made for a period of ten years or more following the Chicago 
show, of which a considerable portion came from Germany. 

Characteristics of the Rambouillet. This variety or family of 
Merino does not differ essentially in appearance from the Delaine 
except in size and breeding. The /lead is large, the nose is covered 
with white silky hair, and the ea?^s are inclined to be large and are 
covered with fine white hair or short fine wool. The rams usually 
have large spirally turned Jwinis, but there are also polled males, 
and the females are hornless. The general form of the Ram- 
bouillet shows more grossness and bone than the Delaine. Indi- 
viduals of the breed range from a distinctly C type, essentially 
free from folds, to those of B type, with well-marked folds about 
the neck, breast, flanks, and hind quarters. For this reason the 
Ohio State Fair for some years has provided separate B and C 
classes for Rambouillet sheep through all the age classes and pens. 
These classes have not been entirely satisfactory, for the reason 
that some exhibitors persist in showing sheep in one type class 
that belong in the other. Rambouillet breeders do not seem 



THE RAMBOUILLET 



525 



agreed on the subject of type, and those of Ohio and Michigan 
run more to folds than do those of the Western states. The type 
approved by the West is a large, smooth-bodied mutton Merino. 
The Eastern tendency to breed a sheep with heavy folds at neck, 
flanks, dock, and thighs, and with small body wrinkles, is a pro- 
nounced recognition of the importance of fleece. In breeding 
flocks, as a rule, the females run fairly free of folds, the service 
rams showing these characters in a greater degree. The fleece of 
the Rambouillet should 
be fairly close over the 
body, have a length for 
twelve months of two 
and one-half to three 
inches, and carry a 
moderate amount of 
yolk. The typical Ram- 
bouillet fleece is not 
so fine as that of the 
Delaine, is slightly 
longer, usually has a 
light-buff yolk, and 
has a nice, unctuous 
feel in handling. The 
wool should cover the 
body well, and breed- 
ers generally seek for 
a cap of wool well down 
over the face and with legs wooled to the ankles. Commenting 
on the wool covering of head and legs. Professor W. C. Coffey, 
an authority on this breed, has the following criticism ^r 

Most Rambouillet breeders emphasize great extension of wool over the face 
and legs, a matter which has been carried too far for practical purposes. Many 
specimens being completely covered with wool over the head and face are 
blind, and a blind sheep in a flock or band is a nuisance, because it is crazy. 
Extreme covering over the legs collects mud and snow, and hence is an incon- 
venience. It is time for Rambouillet breeders to revise their notions a little on 
head and leg covering. 




Fig. 234. Illinois 402, a Rambouillet ram bred by 

Illinois University, owned by California University, 

Davis. This is a B type sheep. From photograph 

by the author 



1 Productive Sheep Husbandry. Philadelphia, 1918. 



526 SHEEP 

The color of the hair on the face, ears, and legs is white, and 
the hoofs also are white. Tan-colored spots sometimes occur amid 
the white hairs of the ears or nose and lips. Dark streaks may 
occur in the hoofs. Any variation from white is looked upon with 
disfavor, but does not disqualify. Tan spots are without doubt an 
inheritance of long standing among all Merino families. 

The size of the Rambouillet averages larger than any of the 
other Merinos ; in fact, years ago they were nicknamed " Elephant 
Merinos." The rams will average about 185 pounds at maturity 



iiiii limit 



,^^ 



'^WWWWiWliiii I < ^^mt*» 





Fig. 235. Four select Rambouillet ewes in the flock of Victor Gilbert, Wideville, 
France, in 1900. From photograph by the author 

and the ewes 150 to 160 pounds. Some rams are said to have 
weighed over 300 pounds, and cases are known of ewes weigh- 
ing about 250 pounds. The ram Matchless, imported by George 
Campbell in 185 1 from the Gilbert flock, weighed 261 pounds. 
Mr. Max Chapman of Ohio bred the ram Sampson, which 
weighed 280 pounds at twenty months old, and the ewe Bernice, 
which at three years weighed 244 pounds. Western breeders pro- 
duce a larger, heavier-weighing type than Easterner^, and weights 
of 250 for the mature ram and 200 for the ewe are not regarded 
as remarkable. The ram Big Chief, bred by F. S. King Brothers 
Company of Wyoming, is said to have weighed 375 pounds. 



THE RAMBOUILLET 



527 



The Rambouillet as a mutton producer ranks very well, though 
inferior to the mutton breeds. It will mature fairly rapidly and 
will produce a class of mutton which will sell well, though it is 
not of the highest quality. This is the only class of Merinos 
offered a place for exhibition at the International Live-Stock 
Exposition, a testimonial to the mutton value of the wethers. 
In the Iowa experiments on fattening wether lambs, in the one 
trial reported, the Rambouillet made an average daily gain of 
.37 pound, requiring 1029 pounds dry matter for 100 pounds gain. 




Fig. 236. Nine Rambouillet ewes in the Huck uf Illinois University. Notice the 
uniformity of type. From photograph, by courtesy of Professor W. C. Coffey 

In the carcass test the Rambouillet dressed out 49.57 per cent, 
the poorest of ten breeds, compared with 55.26 for the South- 
down, and was priced at $5 per hundred live weight compared 
with $5.75 for the Southdown. 

The Rambouillet as a wool producer is regarded with favor. 
In 1838, on the farm at Rambouillet, 40 rams yielded an average 
fleece of 10 pounds 4 ounces, and 201 ewes and 85 lambs an 
average of 7 pounds. The years 1847, 1869, and 1877 saw a 
gradual improvement in weight and quality of fleece, the latter 
year 15 adult rams averaging 16 pounds 9.3 ounces weight of 
fleece, and 521 ewes of various ages 10 pounds 3.1 ounces. 
At the present time it is doubtful if the average ram will shear 
over 15 pounds and the average ewe over 10 pounds, but this, 
of course, does not apply to flocks as carefully bred as that at 



528 



SHEEP 



Rambouillet. O. M. Smithson of Illinois states that he has field 
ewes shearing up to 23 pounds and rams up to 28 to 30 pounds. 
The two-year-old ram Majestic 71350, bred by F. S. King 
of Wyoming, is credited with producing a 40-pound fleece in 
one year. In 19 16 the Oklahoma Agricultural College reported 
shearing from the two-year-old ram Laramie a fleece weighing 




Fig. 237. Huilerlields Model, a Rambouillet ram that sold in the 1918 Salt Lake 

City ram sale for $3000. He was sold by the Butterfield Live-Stock Company of 

Idaho to Bullard Brothers of California. This is a C type Rambouillet. From 

photograph, by courtesy of the American Sheep Breeder 



46I 



pounds with an average length of staple of 3I inches. 



Professor Coffey states ^ that a twelve months' fleece of mature 
rams should weigh from 15 to 25 pounds and ewes from 10 to 18 
pounds, but these latter figures very naturally apply to carefully 
bred and selected flocks. 

Crossbred or grade Rambouillet sheep are best known on the 
Western range, where for some years large numbers of pure-bred 
rams have been shipped from the Middle West for use on native 

1 Productive Sheep Husbandry, 1918. 



THE RAMBOUILLET 529 

Stock. This gives a larger, better mutton type, with a strong con- 
stitution, and at the same time increases the fleece value. Not 
only this, but the smooth-bodied grade is more in favor with 
the shearer on the range than the smaller, more wrinkled sort. 
At the South Dakota Station rams of six breeds were crossed 
on grade Western ewes. Fifty-three lambs sired by a Rambouillet 
ram made an average daily gain of .31 pound, while the carcass 
dressed out 54.2 per cent, the best of the six lots. 

The breeding qualities of the Rambouillet rank well. For 
twelve years preceding 1881 Bernardin, then in charge of the gov- 
ernment flock in France, reports that 4005 ewes were reserved for 
breeders, of which 83.1 per cent were productive, the 83.1 ewes 
dropping 92 lambs, including twins. Professor Coffey rates the 
ewes as fairly prolific and credits them in the flock with 125 
to 150 per cent lambs. In the author's experience with the 
Rambouillet, covering ten years, the ewes are prolific breeders, 
frequently dropping twins, and are unusually good mothers, 
having large udders and producing much milk. One objection 
to some of the ewes is too large a teat. The udders average 
larger than with any other breed of sheep. Owing to their natural 
vigor the ewes breed to a ripe old age. 

The hardy quality of the Rambouillet is worthy of note. 
Formerly, when the French Merino was introduced, many found 
it unsuited to American conditions. The last quarter of a century, 
however, has shown that the Rambouillet has excellent wearing 
qualities, certainly surpassing the mutton breeds. In winter the 
writer has found them comparatively free from catarrh, while 
in summer on the same pasture with sheep badly suffering with 
stomach worms the Rambouillet showed a relatively greater re- 
sistance to these parasites. 

The early maturity of the Rambouillet from the standpoint 
of Merino development is very exceptional. The lambs commonly 
weigh 8 to 10 pounds at birth, come on rapidly with good care, 
and compare favorably with the best mutton breeds. In an edi- 
torial note in the Ainericaji Sheep Breeder relative to Rambouillet 
lambs sold by W. S. Hansen at the Salt Lake sale in August, 
19 1 8, it is stated that March lambs in August weighed 115 to 
120 pounds, remarkable weights for such young lambs. 



530 



SHEEP 



Prices of interest for Rambouillet sheep date back for over 
half a century. In 1853 John D, Patterson of New York pur- 
chased a ram in France for $600 from the flock of M. Cugnot. 
He also paid Victor Gilbert $400 each for 2 rams. In the late 
fifties, when Mr. Patterson sold his sheep to California buyers, 
it is reported that he received ^1500 each for 3 rams, $1000 




Fig. 238. This Rambouillet ram was sold by J. H. Seely to C. N. Stillman of 
Utah in the 1918 Salt Lake City ram sale for ^6200, the high price for a sheep 
of the breed. From photograph, by courtesy of the American Sheep Breeder 



for I, $800 apiece for 2, and for 18 others prices ranging 
from $300 to $700. Fourteen ewes also brought ^4500, or an 
average of $321 per head. These probably represent the highest 
prices brought by individuals of this breed, either in America or 
Europe. A. L. Bingham of Vermont, between 1847 and 1853, 
paid John A. Taintor $37,500, or about $232 a head, for 161 
French Merinos. Some very sensational prices have prevailed 
in recent years, more especially in 19 17 and 19 18 at the annual 
sheep sales in August at Salt Lake City. In 19 17 the ram 



-^ 



THE RAMBOUILLET 



531 



Big Chief, by Wyoming Boy, consigned by F. S. King Brothers 
Company of Wyoming, sold for $1300 to Hobbs and Gillett of 
Idaho. John H. Seely sold to Dell Pratt a ram for ^1325. A 
ram consigned by Illinois University brought $675. In all, 
168 Rambouillet stud rams brought $39,985, an average of $238, 
and 362 ewes brought an average of ;^46.29. At the 191 8 sale 




Fig. 239. The shepherd and his flock at Rambouillet, France. From photograph 

by the author 



a two-year-old ram was sold by John H. Seely to C. N. Stillman 
of Utah for $6200, the top price for the breed. The Butterfield 
Sheep Company sold the ram Butterfield's Model to Bullard 
Brothers of California for $3000, and other rams sold for $1500, 
$1200, $1100, and ^1000 respectively. Bullard Brothers sold a 
pen of 24 yearling rams for $300 a head. Seely sold to Hobbs 
and Gillett 3 ewes for $1375, and King Brothers sold 10 yearling 
ewes for $150 each. Illinois University consigned 5 rams that 
averaged $425 a head. At the 19 19 ram sale at Salt Lake City, 
Illinois University sold to the Butterfield Live-Stock Company 
of Idaho a ram for $1600, the top price of the sale. One other 
ram was sold by F. S. King Brothers Company for $1500, 



532 SHEEP 

another by Bullard Brothers for ^1450, and many others brought 
prices ranging from $200 to $400. These high pi ices were paid by 
Western ranchmen, who had full faith in the future of the breed. 

The distribution of the Rambouillet is very widely spread. It 
has been extensively bred in France, Germany, Russia, and other 
countries of continental Europe and exported heavily to Australia, 
Argentina, and the United States. In South America there are 
large flocks of choice breeding. In the United States the 
Rambouillet is extensively distributed from the Atlantic to the 
Pacific, but it is found in pure-bred flocks to a notable degree in 
Ohio, Michigan, Oregon, Washington, California, Wyoming, and 
Utah, while excellent flocks occur in other states. 

The promotion of Rambouillet sheep in an official way is through 
the American Rambouillet Sheep Breeders' Association, which 
was organized in 1899 at Pontiac, Michigan, but which for many 
years has had its headquarters in Ohio. Volume I of the flock 
book was published in 1891, since which time, up to 19 19, 
twenty volumes have been published, registering 27,747 sheep. 
In 1 90 1 the Von Homeyer Association of Rambouillet Sheep 
was organized in Michigan, registering only sheep of breeding 
that traced to the Von Homeyer flock. This association, now 
defunct, issued one small flock book. There was also a Franco- 
American Merino Association, organized in 1900, in which blood 
lines combine the Rambouillet and American Merino. There is 
an Ohio Rambouillet Sheep Breeders' Association, organized to 
promote the breed, having in 19 19 a membership of about a 
hundred. 



CHAPTER XLVII 

THE MUTTON TYPE OF SHEEP 

The mutton breeds of sheep comprise two groups, known as the 
middle or medium wool and the long wool. While the breeds 
within these groups materially differ in character, what is known 
as the mutton type or form is essentially the same with each of 
these groups, irrespective of size of body or kind of fleece. 

The general mutton conformation embodies the feature of the 
best beef type, involving the compact, blocky form, the short head 
and neck, broad, level back, deep body, indicating large digestive 
capacity, full, heavy leg of mutton, and short legs. 

The head is short, the mouth of ample size, the nostrils large, 
the nose short and strong and often Roman with males, the eyes 
bright and prominent, the forehead broad, the poll neat, and the 
ears refined, short, and actively carried, indicating quality. Horns 
do not as a rule prevail in this type and are not a necessary 
consideration. 

The neck should be full and smoothly muscled, of fair depth, 
level and short on top, and should blend in neatly at head and 
merge nicely at the shoulder and neck vein. 

The shoulder is valuable for mutton and should be neatly 
placed, with the blades not prominent at the top, this entire part 
being smoothly covered with flesh. 

The breast on a superior mutton sheep is wide in front, and 
the brisket prominent and well rounded out, showing a vigorous 
constitution and strong fleshing qualities. The whole front of the 
bosom should show a pronounced breadth as well as fullness in 
all the lines, blending neatly with the shoulders. 

The chest is most important, containing as it does the vital 
organs, so that both thickness and depth are essential and in 
keeping with the properly developed breast. The withers on top 
should be wide and smoothly covered, and then, further down, well- 
rounded crops and full front flanks are to be looked for. Sunken 

533 



534 SHEEP 

crops and high front flanks indicate lack of constitution and poor 
feeding character. Fullness of flank is of vital importance. 

The/)'*?;//* legs should be wide apart and heavily muscled of arm, 
the shank bones fine and short, the joints and pasterns strong. 
The entire leg viewed from front or side must show good form 




Fig. 240. A fine type of mutton sheep, the grand-champion wether, a Shropshire? 

at the International Live-Stock Exposition, 1917. Exhibited by Jess Andrew, West 

Point, Indiana. From photograph by Hildebrand, by courtesy of Mr. Andrew 

and strength, the knees being well apart and the feet properly 
pointing straight ahead. Weak pasterns frequently occur with 
mutton sheep, a feature to be avoided in selecting breeding rams. 

The back and loin contain the valuable cuts, so that width and 
thickness are highly essential at all times. Breadth and levelness 
of back are emphasized, with some closeness of coupling. 

The body, to have ample capacity, requires a strong arch and 
depth of rib, thus giving depth and thickness, invariably associated 



THE MUTTON TYPE OF SHEEP 535 

with the best type, A short body — at least, with the male or 
feeder — is much preferred to a long one. 

The hips should be inconspicuous, not too close together, and 
smoothly covered. 

The rump requires length, breadth, and levelness, with a full 
covering of flesh. Instead of this we too frequently find the 
peaked, narrow, droopy rump with low-set tail, an ill form either 
for meat production or in relation to the proper conformation in 
connection with the reproductive function. 

The thighs should be thick from behind, very full and low in 
between at the twist, and, as viewed from one side, very wide and 
carried strongly back. The entire upper thigh should be heavily 
covered with flesh. The lower thigh, above the hock, must show 
strength and neatness. 

The hocks should be straight and strong with ample space 
between. If the hocks take a correct position, then the legs will 
probably do likewise. Crooked hocks, however, are a common and 
weak formation and are to be guarded against in breeding stock. 
The legs below the hocks should be straight, short, and strong. 

The skin is a quite variable feature on mutton sheep. A 
bright pink is the ideal color, with the skin mellow and yet firm, 
indicating a healthy condition. Instead of this the skin is fre- 
quently of a bluish-white cast or appears too white. A somewhat 
mottled or bluish-white color also occurs with some individuals or 
breeds. There are differences of views as to the significance of 
skin color. No doubt the bluish tint of the Shropshire or Oxford 
skin is one of inheritance and does not necessarily signify poor 
condition. The clear pink skin, however, is preferable and meets 
with most favor among critics. 

The flcshitig of the mutton type calls- for a smooth, uniformly 
covered, deep layer of high-class mutton without wads of fat 
or patchiness on sides or rump. Such a sheep with the fleece 
removed would be beautiful in the general symmetry of outline, 
whether in moderate flesh or fed for slaughter. 

The ivool of the mutton type ranges in length from about two 
inches, as is frequently the case with the Southdown, to some ten 
inches or possibly more for a year's growth, as with the Lincoln. 
The fleece does not cover the body so compactly as with the fine 



536 SHEEP 

wool, but in this respect that of the medium class for density of 
covering excels the long wool, which is the most open of all. The 
fibers range in character from those which are fine and have con- 
siderable crimp to those which are long and wavy, with little or 
no real crimp. A bright fiber with more or less luster is sought. 
Uniformity is important in length, fineness, and diameter of staple. 
The entire body, including the belly and much of the armpits, 
should be covered with a compact fleece. The covering on head 
or legs varies with the breed. Hair (kemp) or abnormal color of 
wool fiber are distinctly objectionable. The yolk should be of 
moderate abundance and uniformly distributed, indicating the wool 
to be in a healthy condition. 



CHAPTER XLVIII 

THE SOUTHDOWN 

The native home of the Southdown breed is in southeastern 
England in the county of Sussex, which is bordered on the south 
by the Enghsh Channel. Extending east and west through this 
region is a range of low chalky hills about sixty miles long and 
from one to six or eight miles wide, known as the South Downs. 
These hills, which also occur in Kent, Hampshire, and Dorset, 
grow a short, fine herbage, while wheat is a leading cereal crop, 
though roots do well under suitable conditions on the lower-lying 
lands. The climate is mild and balmy, being tempered by the sea. 

The original stock from which the Southdown sprung — the 
native Sussex sheep — was somewhat small. It had a dark face 
and legs, occasionally small horns, was long and thin in the neck, 
light in the fore quarter, with narrow, sagging back, the body lack- 
ing rib, though the hind quarter had a thick leg of mutton. 
Coarseness of bone was also characteristic. The wool was short 
and the fleece thin. 

The important early improvers of the Southdown were John 
Ellman and Jonas Webb. Other men assisted in the improvement 
of the breed, but these two stand out in bold relief among the 
great improvers of sheep. 

John Ellman lived at Glynde near Lewes, Sussex County, 
England. He was the first improver of Southdown sheep. He 
began his work about 1780 and resided on the same farm and 
bred Southdowns continuously for over fifty years. Ellman saw 
the necessity of improving the native Sussex sheep to secure a 
stronger constitution, a better mutton form, and ease of fattening, 
with a smaller per cent of offal in killing. He sought the best 
sheep wherever obtainable and made rapid improvement of the 
breed. A son of Mr. Ellman, also a prominent breeder in his day, 
especially credited his father with improvements made in the South- 
down neck and fore quarters. Ellman very generally improved the 

537 



538 



SHEEP 



sheep, creating a superior mutton beast and also greatly adding to 
the thickness and quality of the fleece. He demonstrated that the 
breed could be heavily stocked on the land. In 1788 Arthur Young 
wrote ^ : " Mr. EUman, on 500 acres, has 700 ewes, lambs, and 
wethers in winter, and 1450 of all sorts in summer, besides 140 
head of cattle." Sheep of EUman breeding did not receive marked 
recognition at first, but eventually he commanded high prices. In 




Fig. 241. Babraham Champion, first-prize and reserve cliampion Suuthdown ram 
at the Royal Agricultural Society of England Show in 1901. Also won the Blyth- 
wood Challenge Bowl for the best Southdown of either sex at the Oxfordshire 
Show. Bred and owned by C. Adeane, Babraham, Cambridge, England, and used 
in the famous Babraham flock in 1901 and 1902. From photograph, by courtesy 

of F. N. Webb 



1798 the Emperor of Russia is said to have bought 2 rams for 
$1500. Ellman is universally regarded as the greatest of early 
sheep improvers, unless we except Bakewell. In 1829 he retired 
and dispersed his flock of about 1400 head, of which 241 were 
wether lambs. Mr. Ellman died in 1832 in his eightieth year. 

Jonas Webb of Babraham, Cambridge, England, a tenant farmer, 
built on the Southdown model of Ellman. He began breeding 
about 1 82 1 and purchased the best sheep he could buy, regardless 

^ Annals of Agriculture, Vol. XI, p. 200. 



THE SOUTHDOWN 



539 



of price. These he mated with much wisdom, improving the 
Southdown into the very best known type of mutton sheep, — sym- 
metrical, an easy feeder, and unsurpassed in quahty of flesh and 
dressing out at kilhng. Southdowns of his breeding possessed more 
size than did those of EUman. He began letting out rams in 1823, 
and about 1 846 was placing out two hundred annually. For years 
his ram sales and letting-out sales were important events. He was 
a most successful exhibitor, and in 1855 won a special gold medal 
for his Southdown exhibit at the International Exposition at Paris, 




Fig. 242. Three of the Southdown stock rams on the liabraham estate, near 
Cambridge, P^ngland. From a photograph taken in 191 4 by the author 



France. The Webb flock was dispersed in 1 862, but Mr. C. Adeane, 
the owner of Babraham, is one of P^ngland's best-known breeders 
and exhibitors of Southdowns. For years Mr. ¥. N. Webb, a 
grandson of Jonas, was manager of Babraham for Mr. Adeane. 

The breeding of the Southdown by the English nobility has 
long been noteworthy. In the time of h^llman, George the Third 
became interested in this breed, which ever since has been 
maintained on the royal estates. The late Edward VII, as well 
as his son King George, maintained for years a fine flock. Lord 
Walsingham was long a prominent breeder ; while the estate of 
the Duke of Richmond for over a century bred Southdowns, as 
have the Duke of Hamilton, Duke of Marlborough, Viscount 
Hampden, and numerous others. 



540 SHEEP 

The introduction of the Southdown to America without doubt 
dates back to colonial days, and it has been assumed that the best 
sheep of Rhode Island and eastern Connecticut were of this breed. 
In 1803 a Dr. Rose of Fayette, Seneca County, New York, is 
said to have commenced with a small flock of Southdowns which 
did remarkably well. In 18 13 these were crossed with Spanish 
Merinos. In 1823 Sidney Hawes of New York imported some 
Southdowns and sold 36 ewes, 2 rams, and 10 wethers to C. N. 
Bement of Albany, who kept up his flock many years. In 1834 
Francis Rotch of Otsego County, New York, imported 6 ewes 



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Fig. 243. A pen of three Southdown ewe lambs, first prize in class at the Royal 
Agricultural Society of England Show, 1901. Bred and exhibited by C. Adeane, 
Babraham, Cambridge, England. From photograph, by courtesy of F. N. Webb 

and a ram from the flock of T. Ellman, the son of John. Follow- 
ing this he made several other importations from the most noted 
English flocks. In 1834 Isaac Maynard of Coshocton County, Ohio, 
brought some Southdowns to that state, while in 1844 J. F. King 
of Warren began breeding from Jonas Webb stock, imported by 
J. M. Hesless of Trumbull County, Ohio. Good examples of 
Southdowns were shown in 185 1 at the Green County Fair, 
according to the 0/iw Cultivator (October 15, 1851). With the 
depreciation in Merino interests Southdowns grew in favor east 
of the Mississippi, and many flocks were established. 

The characteristics of the early Southdown, as bred in Ellman 's 
time are interestingly set forth by Arthur Youngj^the noted English 
authority on agriculture of a century and more ago. . 

^ Annals of Agriculture, Vol. XI (1789), p. 198. 



THE SOUTHDOWN 



541 



This true Southdown, when very well bred, has the following points : no horns ; 
a long speckled face ; clean and thin jaw ; a long but not a thin neck ; no tuft 
of wool on the forehead, which they call owl headed ; nor any frize of wool on 
the cheeks ; thick in the shoulder ; open breasted and deep ; both fore and hind 
legs stand wide ; round and strait in the barrel ; wide upon the loin and hips ; 
shut well 171 the twist, which is a projection of flesh on the inner part of the 
thigh, that gives a fullness when viewed behind, and makes a Southdown leg of 
mutton remarkably round and short, more so than in most other breeds ; thin 
speckled leg, and free from wool ; the belly full of wool ; the wool close and hard 
to the feel, curdled to the eye, and free from spiry projecting or staring fibers. 




Fig. 244. A Southdown yearling ewe bred and owned by Illinois University. 

Champion Southdown ewe at the 19 17 International Live-Stock Exposition. 

From photograph, by courtesy of Professor W. C. Coffey 



The characteristics of the Southdown in more recent years show 
a distinct improvement. In 1856 Professor Wilson, discussing the 
British breeds of sheep,i pays high tribute to the improvement 
made by Ellman and the breeders following him. At this time the 
Southdowns had dark brown faces and legs, had been increased 
in size, improved in the width and depth of fore quarter, the back 
and loin were broader and more level of carriage, the depth of rib 
increased, the hind quarters were more square and full, and the 

'^Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, Vol. XVI (1856), p. 233. 



542 



SHEEP 



legs finer and shorter of bone. The present-day Southdown is by 
many regarded as a model mutton beast for the butcher. In con- 
formation we have the compact form, with a desirable shortness in 
head, neck, and legs, a fullness of bosom, a neatly laid shoulder, a 
strong but not over-wide back, a deep middlepiece, and an excep- 
tionally thick and well-laid hind quarter. No breed of sheep fattens 
more smoothly and uniformly than this, and, judging by carcass 
tests, it may be questioned if it has an equal in this respect. The 




Fig. 245. A Southdown ewe and her lamb bred and owned by the Ohio State 

University. The early-maturing character of the Southdown is strikingly shown 

in this nine-months-old lamb. From photograph by the author 



Southdown shows a curve in its lines, as seen in the spring of rib 
and turn of shoulder and thigh, that is distinctively its own. The 
color of face and legs ranges from a light gray to a brown or 
mouse color. The standard of the Southdown association specifies 
" a uniform tint of brown, or gray, or mouse color." The modern 
tendency is toward a light brown. The fleece is fine in quality, 
but is commonly short of staple and lacks in density. The wool 
extends over the head to form a cap reaching the eyes or some- 
what below. The legs are well wooled to the knees and hocks, 
with a light covering extending to the ankles on many well-bred 
Southdowns. The fleece carries only a moderate amount of yolk ; 



THE SOUTHDOWN 



543 



in fact, in many instances there should be more. A clear pink 
skin is desired and is very commonly in evidence, though dark 
spots may occur. The breed is hornless, and abortive horns, or 
scurs, which rarely occur, are disqualifications. The Southdown is 
noted for its quiet, docile temperament. 

The size of the Southdown is inferior, ranking among the 
smallest of the middle-wool class. Yet the compactness of the 




Fig. 246. Babraham Magician 31433, an imported Southdown ram owned by the 

Ohio State University. This is the sire of the lambs in Figs. 248, 249, and 250. 

F'rom photograph by the author 



Southdown is such that individuals weigh very heavy for their 
size. In 1856 Wilson wrote that at two years of age they weighed 
from 100 to 120 pounds each. Shaw and Heller commenting on 
the size^ state that their deceptive weights cause them to be called 
"big little sheep," and assign 170 to 190 pounds for the rams and 
125 to 130 pounds for the ewes. Coffey ^ credits more weight, 

1 E. L. Shaw and L. L. Heller, " Domestic Breeds of Sheep in America," 
Bulletin 9^, United States Department of Agriculture, 1914. 
2 Productive Sheep Husbandry, 1918. 



544 



SHEEP 



placing that of mature rams in breeding condition at 185 to 220 
pounds and ewes at 135 to 155 pounds. George McKerrovv of 
Wisconsin, for many years a leading Southdown breeder and 
importer, reports the following average weights of specimens of 
the breed about September i, 1889: two two-year-old rams, 206 
pounds each; three yearling rams, 15 3} pounds each; two aged 
ewes, 150 pounds each; four yearling ewes, I34j pounds each; 
March lambs, loi^ pounds each. The heaviest yearling weighed 




Fig. 247. Four grade C type Merino ewes, dams of the five lambs in Figs. 248, 

249, and 250. Compare the hind quarter of these ewes with those of the lambs 

in Fig. 250. From photograph by the author 

161 pounds and the heaviest lamb no pounds. The imported 
ram Cheveley Sheik, owned by the Ohio State University, weighed 
218 pounds as a three-year-old in breeding form and with a 
trimmed fleece. In view of the criticism the Southdown has been 
subjected to on account of small size, it would seem desirable for 
breeders to seek somewhat more scale, still maintaining quality. 
A weight of at least 200 pounds for rams and i 50 pounds for 
ewes, in breeding condition, would redound to the credit of the breed. 
The Southdown as a feeder is certainly in the front rank. In 
1856 Wilson wrote that their disposition to fatten enables them 
to be brought into the market at twelve and fifteen months old. 



THE SOUTHDOWN 545 

when they average 80 pounds each. In feeding experiments 
at the Iowa Experiment Station, Southdown wether lambs in one 
trial gained a daily average of .45 pound and in a second .35 
pound, it requiring 738 pounds dry matter for 100 pounds gain 
in the first trial and 989 pounds in the second. In percentage of 
dressed carcass the lambs in the first trial dressed 55.4 per cent 
and in the second 55.26 per cent, averaging higher than any 
other of ten breeds, while the carcass also brought in each trial 
the highest price per 100 pounds. At the Ontario Agricultural 
College the average weight of the best fat shorn Southdown 
grade wethers at four hundred and forty-five days was 1 8 5 pounds, 
the mean weight of all the Southdown wethers 167 pounds, while 
the daily gain per head was .33 pound, Wallace reports that fat 
wethers rising two years old, belonging to the Earl of Bathurst 
and sold . in Cirencester market in the first week in December, 
1884, dressed 138 pounds per carcass, or 34.5 pounds per quarter 
dead weight, and yielded 65.83 per cent dressed weight. At the 
Smithfield Club Show, between 1895 and 1914, according to Henry 
and Morrison, Southdown lambs averaged 123 pounds alive, the 
carcass weighing j6 pounds, dressing out 62 per cent. Yearling 
wethers weighed 142 pounds alive, dressing out 65 per cent. 

The Southdown for quality of mutton, since its early improve- 
ment, has held premier place in the best markets. There is no 
excessive fat on the average fed carcass, the flesh is of the finest 
flavor and grain, the offal is comparatively small, and the bone 
is fine. It is for these reasons that the Southdown has succeeded 
so often in attaining the highest awards on the mutton carcasses 
in our fat-stock shows. At the International Live-Stock Exposi- 
tion no other breed during the history of the show has in a com- 
parative way won so many important prizes in the carcass contests. 
At the 191 1 International the first-prize yearling wether, a South- 
down, weighed alive i 34 pounds and dressed 60.45 percent carcass. 
The champion carcass that year was a lamb shown by Wisconsin 
University, weighing 105 pounds alive and dressing 58 per cent 
carcass. At the 19 16 show the first-prize lamb (a Southdown 
shown by W, H. Miner), weighing 90 pounds alive and dressing 
55-55 per cent carcass, was given the championship and sold at 
60 cents a pound. At the 19 18 International, of the six prizes in 



546 



SHEEP 



the carcass contest awarded on yearlings and lambs, five were for 
pure-bred Southdowns and one for grade Southdowns. The grand 
championship went to a lamb shown by W, H. Miner that weighed 
82 pounds alive, dressed 57.32 per cent carcass, and sold for 
62 cents a pound. "This carcass," said Robert Lorimer, the judge, 
" was the most perfect I ever saw in my life ; from the butcher's 
point of view, it might be called a model." 

The Southdown crossbred or grade has long met with great 
favor in the mutton market. In fact the Southdown has played 




Fig. 24.S. Five grade Southdown wether lambs sired by iJabrahani Magician, 

out of grade Merino ewes. Bred and owned by the Ohio State University. From 

photograph by the author 



a leading part in forming several breeds, notably the Shropshire, 
Hampshire, and Oxford, though it has been used more or less 
on other breeds to improve the fleshing and maturing qualities. 
Grade lambs, the result of Southdown rams on common ewes of 
the Merino type or of middle-wool form, will always be in com- 
paratively high demand by butchers. In breeding Southdown rams 
to native grade Merino ewes at the Ohio State University, very 
superior progeny have resulted from a mutton point of view, show- 
ing strong Southdown character. It is an interesting tribute to 
the value of Southdown blood in mutton improvement that rams 
of this breed have been used more than any other for securing 



THE SOUTHDOWN 



547 



high-class wethers for showing in nonbreeding classes for the 
butcher. The Southdown blood has proved very prepotent. At 
the 191 8 International Live-Stock Exposition a very beautiful 
carload of grade Southdown wether lambs, averaging 88 pounds, 
were awarded grand championship honors and sold for the high 
price of $40.50 per hundred. In the South Dakota feeding 
experiment 53 lambs out of Western native ewes sired by a 
Southdown ram made an average daily gain of a quarter of a 
pound and dressed out 53.1 per cent carcass to offal. 




Fig. 249. Front view of the five grade Southdown wether Iambs shown in Fig. 248 



The breeding qualities of the Southdown are about average. In 
1856 Professor Wilson of Scotland wrote: "The ewes are very 
prolific and are excellent mothers, commonly rearing 120 or 130 
lambs to the 100 ewes." In recent years, as compared with the 
Shropshire, the breed cannot be regarded as superior in fecundity. 
At the government flock in Vermont, according to Shaw and 
Heller, a lamb crop of 125 per cent has been secured. This fig- 
ure is no doubt a conservative estimate. The ewes make good 
mothers and have a fair flow of milk. 

The adaptability of the Southdown to a variety of conditions 
is very fair. On rolling land, and even on hilly land producing 
plenty of pasture, they do well. On the slightly rolling, well-drained 
lands of the Central West they seem to thrive, while in the South 



548 



SHEEP 



this has been one of the best-known breeds. They graze well and 
are equally hardy with most middle-wool sheep. 

The Southdown as a wool sheep occupies a subordinate place. 
The fleece is short (averaging perhaps two inches long) and, 
although the finest of the native British breeds, weighs light, an 
average yield for a flock being less than for any other common 
breed. Wallace gives the weight of fleece of a ewe from 3 to 4 
pounds, and Shaw from 5 to 7. In 1891 General C. M, Clay, 
who bred Southdowns on a large scale in Kentucky for over fifty 




Fig. 250. Rear view of the five grade Southdown wether lambs shown in Fig. 248 

consecutive years, wrote that he had " raised wool from three and 
one-half pounds to seven on an a\erage." Coffey estimates a 
yield for twelve months of 5 to 8 pounds of wool, and the 
government flock at the Morgan Horse Farm at Middlebury, Ver- 
mont, has averaged approximately 7 pounds to the fleece in recent 
years, one ram producing over 1 2 pounds. While the fleece is 
usually very fine, often grading half-blood combing, its short 
length, freedom from yolk, and small size of sheep combine to 
produce a fleece not weighing much over 6 pounds. 

Notable prices for Southdown sheep have been paid since the 
days of Ellman, though the figures are not so large as those derived 
from Lincoln or Merino sales. In 1787 the first Southdown ram 



THE SOUTHDOWN 



540 



to bring lo guineas ($50) was sold by Ellman to Lord Walder- 
grave. In 1794 the Earl of Egremont gave Ellman about $10 
each for 50 ewes. In 1796 this same breeder sold a ram for 50 
guineas, or $250. Later the Emperor of Russia and the Duke 
of Bedford each took two of Mr. Ellman's rams at 150 guineas 
($750) per head. In 1829, when the Ellman flock was dispersed, 
36 rams averaged about ^125 each. At the dispersal sales of 
Jonas Webb in 1861 and 1862 there were sold 1404 sheep at an 
average of ;2^ii lys. 3<r/., almost ;^58 each, the highest price, 260 
guineas, or 1^1300, being for a ram. In 1889 and 1900, at the 




Fig. 251. The reserve Southdown ewes on pasture at Babraham. From photo- 
graph taken in 1914 by the author 

sales of Henry Webb in Cambridgeshire, 745 rams and ewes aver- 
aged about $60 each, the top price being 210 guineas. In earlier 
days higher prices ruled for Southdowns in America than now. 
In 1856, at the sale of L. J. Morris, at Fordham, New York, the 
ewes averaged $150, and one imported ram brought ^400. The ram 
Archbishop, bred by Jonas Webb, was imported by G. H. Brown 
and cost $1250. No remarkable prices have been paid for South- 
downs in recent years. The American trade is conservative on 
prices, and the British is very much the same. In the dispersal 
of the famous flock of W. M. Cazalet, Fairlawn, Kent, England, 
in 19 1 6, the leading sale for the year, 306 head brought about 
=^10,500, averaging approximately $33.50 per head. Twenty-eight 
rams averaged about $100 each, one fetching $500. 



550 " SHEEP 

The promotion of Southdown sheep in an official way was 
first undertaken by the organization in 1882 of thie American 
Southdown Breeders' Association, which has had headquarters at 
Springfield, Illinois, for many years. This association has pub- 
lished seventeen flock books up to 1919. In England the South- 
down Sheep Society, organized about 1892, promotes the welfare 
of the breed. Since 1893, when the first volume of the British flock 
book was published, the society has published thirty-two volumes, 
including the registration of a large number of sheep. 

The distribution of the Southdown is world-wide. It has been 
exported from England into almost every country of Europe, 
Africa, Australia, and America, where civilization and sheep hus- 
bandly at all prevail. Even as late as 1903 exports were made 
to the United States, France, Russia, Australia, the Argentine 
Republic, Chile, and Japan. Perhaps no breed of sheep during its 
career has had an equally wide distribution. In the United States 
Southdowns are recorded as bred in nearly fifty states, impor- 
tant flocks being kept in Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, 
Wisconsin, Vermont, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Southdowns, 
all things considered, are more popular in the South than any 
other breed. They are also well represented in Canada, notably 
in Ontario. 



CHAPTER XLIX 

. THE SHROPSHIRE 

The native home of Shropshire sheep is in the counties of Shrop- 
shire and Stafford, England. Shropshire is in central-western Eng- 
land, being bounded on the west by Wales, while Stafford lies just 
to the east. Shropshire is an irregular parallelogram with an area 
of about 1346 square miles. The river Severn flows through the 
county, and Shrewsbury, with a population of about 30,000, is the 
county seat. In 1803 Plymley wrote i; 

Though no part of this county can be called flat, generally speaking, yet 
the northeastern parts are comparatively so, as contrasted with the hills on its 
southern and western borders, leading on to the Welsh mountains, and with 
the hills of Derbyshire and Staffordshire to the east unite with the still more 
level country of Chester, in forming a great plain or valley. 

The Clee Hills to the southwest rise to an altitude of 1800 feet. 
The soil varies from light alluvial to heavy clay, and the small 
cereals, grasses, and root crops do well. The climate is moderate 
and well suited to sheep. 

The origin of Shropshire sheep is from several native types 
on which Southdown, Leicester, and Cotswold blood was used. In 
1803 Plymley wrote that considerable fiocks were then kept in 
southwest Shropshire, but in the county, as a whole, fiocks were 
few and small. He states that there is a breed of sheep on the 
Longmynd with horns and black faces that seems an indigenous 
sort ; these sheep are nimble, hardy, and weigh near ten pounds a 
quarter when fatted, and have fleeces that may weigh two and one- 
half pounds, of which a half will be breechin, or coarse wool. He also 
states that the farmers of the hill country seem to think the great- 
est advantage they derive from the access of foreign stock is from 
the cross of the Southdown with Longmynd sheep. In 1792 the 
Bristol Wool Society, reporting on the sheep of England,^ stated 

1 Joseph Plymley, General View of the Agriculture of Shropshire, 1803. 

2 John A. Craig, Sheep Farming in North America. New York, 1913. 

551 



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F"iG. 252. An old map of Shropshire, England, reproduced from Plymley's "Gen- 
eral View of the Agriculture of Shropshire," 1803. The word " Hundred " seen 
on the map represents a division of the country in which originally one hundred 
families were supposed to reside 



THE SHROPSHIRE 553 

that on Morfe Common, near Bridgnorth in southeast Shropshire, 
as many as 10,000 sheep were pastured in summer which pro- 
duced wool of superior quahty. "They are considered a native 
breed — a black-faced or a brown or spotted face, horned 
sheep, little subject to either rot or scab, clipping nearly two 
pounds of fleece exclusive of the breeching, which may be 
taken at one-seventh or one-eighth part of the whole," On 
Cannock Chase in Staffordshire was found a similar but some- 
what larger, slow-maturing sheep, from which was descended some 




Fig. 253. Shropshire yearling ewes, prize winners at the 1859 show of the Royal 

Agricultural Society of England. Exhibited by J. Crane. From a photograph of 

an old English painting 

of the best Shropshire flocks of to-day. On Whittington Heath 
in Shropshire a type similar to that of Cannock Chase also existed 
and became amalgamated in the general improvement. The South- 
down was used on these to secure quality, while the Leicester 
and Cotswold blood were used to obtain size and fleece, and from 
this combination, after a considerable process of selection, came 
the modern Shropshire. The breed is comparatively recent in its 
present character, though Alfred Mansell says the best character- 
istics were present when the work of improvement was begun. 
As late as 1858 Professor Tanner wrote ^: "" Only a few years 

^ Henry Tanner, "The Agriculture of Shropshire," /on rt/. Royal Ag. Soc, 1858. 



554 SHEEP 

since any mention of the Shropshire Down sheep raised an in- 
quiry, even among intellectual agriculturists, as to their character, 
and few, comparatively speaking, knew anything of them," Tan- 
ner, however, refers to the rapid rise in popularity of the breed 
and states that at the time of writing Shropshires " stand high 
as general favorites, and are rapidly extending throughout this 
and foreign countries." In 1859, in an interesting essay on cross- 
breeding,^ W. C. Spooner discusses the origin of various British 
breeds, in which he quotes J. Meire, with the following statement 
to a farmers' club in Shropshire : 

It is not attempted to be denied that the Shropshire is a cross-bred sheep; 
the original breed was horned, and the first attempt at improvement was to 
get rid of these incumbrances, and there is Httle doubt that this was effected 
by a cross of the Southdown. This sheep was well adapted for the Downs, 
but for the enclosures of Shropshire something more docile was required, 
consequently recourse was had to the Leicester. 

Spooner states that this crossing and recrossing was followed by 
careful selection, until at the time of his writing (1859) "no 
further cross is required." 

Two early prominent improvers of the Shropshire are said to 
have been Samuel Meire of Berrington and later of Harley, near 
Shrewsbury, and George Adney of Harley. Meire sought to remove 
the Shropshire coarseness and horns and to improve the levelness 
of back and spring of rib, the obliqueness of shoulder, and the 
breadth and fullness of rump. He purchased or hired Southdown 
rams from John Ellman of Glynde and used them in his flock. 
He also used Leicester blood, with the purpose of getting better 
feeders and animals of shorter body. After securing his type he 
practiced the selection necessary to establish his improvement. 
Adney did not cross extensively, but a ram named Buckskin used 
in his flock, with Southdown blood in his veins, produced superior 
sheep, one of which, the ewe Old Patentee, was a famous dam 
and prize winner whose blood is prominent in the best early Shrop- 
shire pedigrees. Many of the best flocks of to-day trace to those 
of Meire and Adney. Other prominent breeders and improvers 
were G. M. Kettle of Dallicott, Henry Smith of Shiffnal, Green of 

1 Jotinial of Royal Agricultural Society of England, Vol. XX (1859), p. 294. 



THF: SHROPSHIRE 



555 



Marlow, Horton of Shrewsbury; Farmer of Bridgnorth, Thomas 
Mansell, Thomas Harley, J. & E. Crane, and John Stubbs. 

Shropshires were first exhibited at the Royal Show in England 
in 1853 in a special class for short- wooled sheep, and in 1859 
were given a class as a separate breed. Within a few years it was 
the most prominent breed shown, 875 head being exhibited at the 
Shrewsbury Royal in 1884 compared with 420 representing all 
other breeds. At the Royal Show in 19 14, held at Shrewsbury, 
which was attended by the author, the total entries of sheep of 




Fig. 254. Second-prize pen of Shropshire yearling rams at the Royal Agricul- 
tural Society of England Show, 1904. Bred and exhibited by Sir R. P. Cooper, 
Bart., Shenstone, England. From photograph, by courtesy of William Cooper 
& Nephews, Berkhamsted, England 



all breeds were 886, of which the Shropshire numbered 145, the 
second in numbers being the Romney Marsh with 84 head, and 
the third the Southdown with 76 head. 

The introduction of the Shropshire to America was necessarily 
comparatively recent. Shaw and fieller state that they were intro- 
duced to Virginia as early as 1855, but the records do not state 
by whom. In i860 Samuel Sutton of Relay House, Maryland, 
imported a ram and twenty ewes, which the American Farmer 
for August, 1 86 1, reports were the first of the breed to be im- 
ported to America. According to Randall ^ two Shropshires were 
imported by N. L. Chaffee of Jefferson, Ashtabula County, Ohio, 
in 1 86 1 — a ram, Lion, and a ewe, Nancy, both bred by Lord 
Berwick of Shrewsbury. About 1861 A. B. Conger of Haver- 
straw, New York, had a flock, and in 1864 he sold the first of the 

1 Henry S. Randall, The Practical Shepherd (1863), p. 64. 



556 



SHEEP 



breed to go into New Hampshire, to P. W. Jones of Amherst. 
Shropshires were exhibited at the New York State P'air at Elmira, 
in 1 86 1, including the ram Gratitude, that had been shown the 
year previous at the Royal Agricultural Society Show at Canter- 
bury, England. In 1862 P. Lorillard of P^ordham, New York, also 
had a flock, and in 1868 L. C. P'ish of Otego, New York, began 
breeding them. About 1875 the first Shropshires were brought 
from Canada to Michigan by Mrs. Ann Newton of Pontiac. In 
1880 this breed was advertised by J. A. Brown & Son of Decatur, 
Illinois. Along in the eighties numerous importations were made 
into Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan, and the breed became well 






Fig. 255. The champion pen of Shropshire yearling ewes at the Royal Agricul- 
tural Society of England Show, 1897. Bred and exhibited by T. Bowen-Jones, 
Shrewsbury, England. From photograph by the author 



distributed. The World's Columbian Exposition Show at Chicago 
in 1893 excited much interest in the Shropshire and greatly 
stimulated importation, and large numbers of these sheep were 
brought to America in the next few years. 

Characteristics of the Shropshire. This breed is of the medium- 
wool class and is somewhat heavier and larger than the Southdown. 
The face, ears, and legs are usually a dark brown or blackish brown, 
although prior to 1900 they were often grayish brown of face. 
There may be some variations in co/or, and steel gray is often 
found in accredited flocks, though it is not popular. A light rusty 
brown of a faded reddish shade or spotted markings may disqualify. 
The /irad is hornless and is slightly larger than the Southdown, 
and in the best specimens is covered with a striking cap of wool 
even to the nostrils, covering all but a small part of the nose. The 
ears should be small, short, and moderately broad, and be well 
covered with short, fine wool. Shropshire ears are often bare of 



THE SHROPSHIRE 



557 



wool and too large and plain. The back and loin of the Shrop- 
shire is one of its strong features, combining level carriage, width, 
and covering to a commendable degree. Fullness of bosom, a 
wide, prominent brisket, and a well-sprung, deep rib combine to 
give an impression of strong digestive capacity. The hind quar- 
ters on the average Shropshire lack in width and level carriage of 
rump and thickness of thigh and twist of the Southdown. The 
Jleece covers the entire body admirably, being compact and fairly 
long and of superior quality. In temperament Shropshires are of 
first class, being easily handled. The skin of representatives of 
this breed is very often mottled or bluish pink and lacks the 
superior quality and color of 
either the Merino or Chev- 
iot. Modern-day Shrop- 
shire breeders discriminate 
against dark skins and em- 
phasize the importance of a 
clear, bright pink or cherry- 
red color. Evidence of 
horns or stubs, heads bare 
of wool, and obscurity of 
breed character are dis- 
qualifications, on the basis 
of the official standard of 
excellence. " In style and 

show-yard finish," says Coffey,^ " the Shropshire is impressive and 
it leads the mutton breeds in drawing attention and admiration at 
live-stock exhibitions. With its head set proudly upon a gracefully 
turned neck, and its smoothly turned symmetrical body, and its pic- 
turesque extension of downy, white wool over the face and legs, it 
possesses an air of grandeur rather than of smartness and nattiness 
which is characteristic of the Southdown," 

The size of the Shropshire is about medium among breeds of 
its class. A standard weight for rams in good breeding condition 
is 225 pounds, with 150 to 180 for ewes. Coffey gives 200 to 
250 pounds for rams and 150 to 180 pounds for ewes. The 
oflScial standard of the American Shropshire Association is 175 

1 Productive Sheep Husbandry, 1918. 




Fig. 256. A pair of prize-winning Shropshire 
ewes at the Pan-American Exposition, 1901. 
Owned and exhibited by G. H. Davison, 
Millbrook, New York. From photograph, by 
courtesy of the National Stockman and Farmer 



55S 



SHEEP 



to 250 pounds for rams and 140 to 180 pounds for ewes. Two- 
hundred-and-fifty-pound rams and one-hundred-and-eighty-pound 
ewes are very exceptional, notwithstanding the present tendency 
to breed for more size than was the case a few years ago. In 
the show ring, providing there is sufficient quahty, the larger 
Shropshires receive preference from the critics, although exces- 
sive size is as undesirable as undersize. 

The Shropshire as a mutton sheep is of a superior order, rank- 
ing next to the Southdown, and when well fed often equaling it. 

In the Iowa Station 
breed test Shropshire 
fattening wethers of an 
average age of three 
hundred and seventy- 
one days, in the first 
trial, made an average 
daily gain of .48 pound, 
and in the second trial, 
covering two hundred 
and seventy-nine days, 
gained an average of 
.36 pound daily. In 
one trial it required 
7 1 8 pounds dry matter 
for 100 pounds gain, 
and in the other 1026 
for 100 pounds gain. The valuation per lOO pounds live weight 
ranked second to the Southdowns, namely, $4.63 and $5.60 for 
each trial. In feeding experiments on Shropshire lambs con- 
ducted by Professor Brown at the Ontario College, grades of this 
breed made the best record among five tested. The Shropshire 
has not figured prominently in the carcass contests at the Inter- 
national Live-Stock Exposition, perhaps because breeders were 
not interested to present this breed in an aggressive way for this 
purpose. In 1908 the University of Wisconsin won first in the 
yearling carcass class with a Shropshire that weighed 167 pounds 
on foot and dressed 59.88 per cent carcass, but won the grand 
championship with the carcass of a Southdown lamb. In general 





f\MmMi 


^^■-^ 




. ^T--.C.3. ; - • 



Fig. 257. Montford Emblem (imp.), the champion 

Shropshire ram in America in 19 18 at the leading 

shows. Owned by Jess C. Andrew, West Point, 

Indiana. From photograph by the author 



THE SHROPSHIRE 



559 



practice, however, the Shropshire has proved to be a superior feeder 
and produces a choice grade of mutton, though not hkely to take 
on fat with quite the smoothness and evenness of the Southdown. 

Crossbred or grade Shropshires are to-day one of the most 
common types of mutton sheep found on the market. Shropshire 
rams used on native ewes furnish lambs of a much-desired class ; 
they fatten easily, are not too large, and are profitable killers. In 
the Mississippi Valley states Shropshire grades are the common 
sheep outside of Merino communities. A Shropshire ram-Merino 
ewe cross is also a very 
beneficial one from a 
mutton point of view. 
Used on the long-wool 
grade ewes a smaller, 
better mutton sheep 
results, with a more 
profitable fleece. In 
1894 Alexander Bruce, 
chief live-stock inspec- 
tor for New South 
Wales, wrote: "For the 
production of prime fat 
lambs there is no better 
ram (if there be as good) 
than the Shropshire, 
and the result is equally 

favorable where that ram is put to crossbred ewes." From a 
fleece point of view the Shropshire crossbred or grade produces 
a class of wool much in favor and for which, other things being 
equal, there is a great demand at the higher market price. 
Reporting on the use of Shropshire rams on Merino ewes, Craig 
states of the first cross that " the fleece is exceptional in the 
degree to which it meets the demand of the market for a medium 
combing wool. The fiber is coarser and longer than the pure 
Merino, but these qualities in connection with its firmness and 
strength make the fleece worth more in the market." 

The Shropshire as a grazing sheep ranks but fair. It is espe- 
cially adapted to regions where the pastures are superior, but it 



^ 


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i 


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f 


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•mM 


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M 


lixt]i^: 




i 




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Fig. 258. Front view ot the Shropshire ram Brough- 
tons 2532 in field condition. Owned by the Ohio 
State University. From photograph by the author 



56o SHEEP 

is not so well adapted to hilly land nor to sparse pasturage as 
the Merino, Southdown, or Cheviot. It is distinctly suited to the 
corn belt of America, where it is most abundant. It is also well 
suited to the better Canadian pastures, and in New England 
satisfactory results have been secured on the more fertile low- 
lands or in the upland valleys. It may, in fact, be regarded as 
adapted to average conditions. 

The early maturing qualities of the Shropshire are pronounced, 
ranking in the first class. Lambs at four months will easily weigh 
40 pounds and under special feeding will attain a weight of ap- 
proximately 70 pounds. The grand-champion carload at the 191 3 
International — a very choice exhibit by Knollin and Finch of 
Idaho — -was of pure-bred Shropshire lambs. They were lambed 
between April 10 and 20, and the 55 head in Chicago had an 
average weight of 98 pounds, which shows an approximate daily 
gain of .4 1 pound for two hundred and thirty days. Considering 
the long shipment from Idaho to Chicago, this is a fine showing. 
At twelve months, under fair conditions, the weight should be 
about 100 pounds without forced feeding. Wallace gives 20 to 
22 pounds per quarter the dead weight at twelve months old. 
The early-maturing, easy-fattening character of the breed or its 
cross or grade is wliat makes it so popular among feeders. 
Further, for years dark-faced mutton has been more popular in 
the market than the white-faced. 

The constitutional vigor of the Shropshire has been criticized 
as not of the hardiest sort. Compared with the Merino, the 
Shropshire is more subject to colds in winter and shows less 
resistance to the twisted stomach worm {Stivngyhis) than is de- 
sirable. From the observation of the author, while the Shropshire 
is not lacking in vitality in comparison with other mutton breeds, 
it does not show the resistance to disease and parasites that the 
Delaine, Rambouillet, or Clieviot do. 

The fecundity of Shropshire sheep is notable. The ewes of 
this breed have long been noted for the number of lambs they 
will produce. A ewe owned by a Mr. Pochin at Leicester, 
England, dropped 5 lambs in 1882, 4 in 1883, and 4 in 1884. 
A writer in the English Agricultural Gazette in 1879 reports 
that in 1877 he had 125 ewes suckle 194 lambs, in 1878 he 



THE SHROPSHIRE 



561 



had 120 suckle 176, and in 1879 he had 124 suckle 191. 
Mr. Alfred Mansell, secretary of the English Shropshire Society, 
states that 150 to 175 lambs per 100 is the usual average and 
that 11,666 ewes in 1896 reared 168 lambs per 100 ewes. In a 
study of 23,037 Shropshires recorded in the " American Shrop- 
shire Flock Book" the author found 13,659, or 59.2 per cent, of 
single birth; 9053, or 39.2 per cent, registered as twins; and 
315, or 1.3 per cent, as triplets — this record covering the years 




Fig. 259. A first-prize Shropshire ewe lamb at the 1918 international Live-Stock 
Exposition. Bred and exhibited by Ilhnois University. This is a very beautiful 
example of the breed. From photograph, by courtesy of Professor W. C. Coffey 

1890 to 1899. Undoubtedly one may safely count on 125 to 150 
per cent lambs to ewes and, where carefully selected for prolifi- 
cacy, even 175. But twins and triplets are as a rule less strong 
than single lambs, and the first thing of importance is a strong, 
lusty, growthy lamb. While breed advocates have reason to be 
proud of the fecundity of the Shropshire, in which regard it is 
not surpassed, triplets are undesirable, and 100 per cent lambs 
raised to full strength for a year is a fine record. 

The Shropshire as a wool producer ranks very well. The 
average fleece of unwashed wool will probably not much exceed 



562 



SHEEP 



8 pounds. Wallace places 7 or 8 pounds a good average weight 
for the fleece of an ordinary ewe flock, while Professor Thomas 
Shaw gives 9 to 10 pounds for the ewes and 12 to 15 pounds 
for the rams as the average of a " good flock." Coffey gives the 
average weight of fleece at 8 to 10 pounds, and Shaw and Heller 
refer to a flock of 200 ewes where fleeces averaged 10.31 pounds. 
The staple of the Shropshire is rather compact, of better than 
medium quality usually, and grades as three-eighths combing in 
the. wool trade. In good specimens it is of superior fineness and 

crimp and ranges from 
two and one-half to 
three inches long, dis- 
tinctly longer than the 
Southdown but shorter 
than Oxford or Hamp- 
shire. When the fleece 
is opened it frequently 
shows a considerable 
yolk for medium wool 
and has a most attrac- 
tive fiber. A good spec- 
imen of Shropshire 
should be well covered 
with wool over the belly 
and down the legs to 
below knee and hock. 
Dark wool should not 
occur, unless in a slight degree below the hocks, but dark or black 
locks occasionally appear in a small way, more especially about the 
poll. In the pure-bred flock it is not only important to use a ram 
that has a fleece of good quality and weight but the color should 
be a pure white. 

The prices paid for Shropshires, while not comparable with 
some of the other breeds, such as the Merino and Lincoln, have 
attained very high figures. In 1881 Mr. A. B. Allen wrote: 
"' I notice from late sales reported in the English papers the 
choicest are bringing high prices, 10 to 100 guineas ($50 to ^S^o) 
each, and one ram has been sold for the extraordinary sum of 




Fig. 260. Corston, the home of T. A. Buttar at 
Cupar-Angus, Scotland. Mr. Buttar is perhaps the 
greatest breeder of Shropshires living to-day (1920), 
and his sheep are famous for their excellence. From 
photograph by the author 



THE SHROPSHIRE 563 

200 guineas ($1000)." Mr. Alfred Mansell, long a prominent 
auctioneer of Shropshires abroad, has published quite a record of 
Shropshire sale prices. A list of 464 rams ranged in average 
selling price at auction from slightly above 3100 per head to over 
$200, while 1700 ewes sold at prices ranging from $20 to over 
$50 per head. A list of 53 rams is also given by name, which 
have either sold or been hired for from $305 up to $1250 each, 
9 of which came within the $1000 list. In 1893 W. Bowen- 
Jones of England sold a ram at auction for $1000 to Thomas and 
Son. In 1896 Mr. Mansell wrote: "Foreign and colonial flock- 
masters have been good customers, and at high prices, running 
up to 200 guineas for rams, 30 guineas for ram lambs, 40 pounds for 
ewes, and 15 guineas for ewe lambs." In 1910 Thomas Minton 
of Montford, Shrewsbury, a most noted constructive English 
breeder, sold the two-year-old ram Montford Trader at auction for 
$1125, the record price up to that date. It is interesting to note 
that the Minton flock, owing to the death of Mr. Minton, was 
dispersed at auction, September 19, 191 7, when 391 head aver- 
aged $50 each, 39 rams averaged $85, and 90 stock ewes about 
$45 each. In the United States values as a rule have been con- 
servative. The champion ram of the breed at the 1909 Inter- 
national Live-Stock Exposition, exhibited by Elmendorf Farm of 
Kentucky, was sold for $500 to D. V. Perrine of Idaho. In 1916 
T. ¥. Jones of Iowa paid George McKerrow of Wisconsin $500 
for a half interest in the ram Senator Bibby. On January 14, 19 19, 
A. T. Jones and Sons of Iowa broke American Shropshire price 
records in the dispersal sale of their herd, 142 head (of which 137 
were ewes) bringing $17,475. One ram brought $550 and one 
ewe $500. Twenty daughters of the ram Senator Bibby brought 
an average of $171 per head. 

The distribution of the Shropshire is world-wide ; no other 
mutton breed has approached it in universal popularity. From 
England these sheep have been exported to many different coun- 
tries. In 1907, according to Alfred Mansell,^ secretary of the 
English Shropshire Society, 1427 Shropshires were exported to 
the United States, Canada, and Newfoundland ; 569 to South 
America, including Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Chile, Peru ; 

^ I^ive Stock Jojuiial Almanac, London, 1917. 



564 



SHEEP 



212 to Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand; 45 to South 
Africa, Algiers, Algoa Bay ; 61 to Russia, Germany, France, 
Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Hungary, Jamaica, Finland, Greece, 
Portugal, a total of 2314 head. Since 1914 the number exported 
has greatly diminished, but 368 head were shipped to different 
countries in 19 16. Shropshires are popular in England, especially 
in the county of its nativity, in Australasia, Canada, and the United 
States. In 1908 it was reported by J. B. Spencer 1 that of 19,545 
head of pure-bred sheep in Canada 6000 were Shropshires, lead- 
ing all other breeds but the Leicester, In the United States, 
where this is the favorite mutton breed, they are found from the 




Fig. 261. Shropshire ewes on pasture at Corston, Cupar- Angus, Scotland. From 
a photograph by the author in 1914 

Atlantic to the Pacific and from the northern to the southern 
boundaries. However, the breed is most abundant in New York, 
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and 
Iowa. This wide distribution gives evidence of the adaptability 
of the breed. The ideal conditions are found in a country with 
rolling surface, well grassed, and not too hot and dry. The great 
Shropshire shows in the United States are at the International 
Live-Stock Exposition and the state fairs of Ohio, New York, 
Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois. 

The official promotion of Shropshire sheep has been in very 
efficient hands. In 1882 the English Shropshire Society was 
established, and the first volume of its flock book published in 



^" Sheep Husbandry in Canada," Bulletin 12, Dominion of Canada Department 
of Agriculture, 1908. 



THE SHROPSHIRE 565 

1884. This society up to 19 18 had pubhshed thirty-six flock books 
and registered a large number of sheep. The American Shrop- 
shire Sheep Association was organized at Lafayette, Indiana, in 
February, 1884, and has made a remarkable record. As early as 
1893 it had a membership of one thousand, since which time it 
has become the largest sheep association in the world. Its first 
flock book was published in 1889, and the association has pub- 
lished thirty volumes up to 1919, registering 436,248 sheep. 
A national Shropshire sheep association was organized in 1900 
and published one flock book in 1902, but none since. Flock- 
book societies are maintained in Australia and Tasmania. This 
breed is also promoted by a number of state Shropshire associa- 
tions. The Ohio Shropshire Sheep Breeders' Association was or- 
ganized in January, 1892, at Columbus, and the New York State 
Shropshire Breeders' Association about 1891. 



CHAPTER L 

THE OXFORD DOWN 

The native home of the Oxford Down sheep is in the county 
of Oxford in south-central England, the southern boundary of 
which is some sixty miles from the sea. Oxford contains about 
750 square miles, and the city of Oxford, the county seat, where 
the famous Oxford University is located, has a population of ap- 
proximately 200,000. It is a fine agricultural county, with much 
fertile soil, where cereals, roots, and grasses especially thrive, and 
sheep do well. 

The origin of the Oxford Down sheep is comparatively recent. 
About 1833 Mr. Samuel Druce of Eynsham, Messrs. William 
Gillett of Southleigh and Blake of Stanton Harcourt, all in 
Oxfordshire, and Mr. Twynham in Hampshire began to develop 
a new breed, though Mr. Druce was the leader in the movement. 
In 1859 Mr. Druce wrote to Mr. Pusey ^ : 

The foundation of this class of sheep was begun about the year 1833, by 
using a well-made and neat Cotswold ram with Hampshire Down ewes. At 
the same period several breeders of sheep in this neighborhood also tried the 
experiment ; consequently there has always been an opportunity of getting 
fresh blood by selecting sheep which suited different fiocks and thereby main- 
taining the uniform character which is now established. 

Although Twynham may perhaps have a claim to priority in 
crossing the Hampshire Down ewe with the Cotswold ram, writes 
Spooner,2 yet from various causes, probably because the Hampshire 
hills were scarcely adapted for such large sheep, they failed to 
establish themselves in this locality. Druce and Gillett also used 
Southdowns to some extent in the early days of their crossbreeding. 
In establishing this cross Mr. Druce wrote in 1853 that he found 
no difficulty in keeping the form and size of the animal as it should 
be, and the wool of a valuable quality and not deficient in quantity. 

^ Jo7i7-/ial of Royal Agricultural Society of Fjtglaiid, Vol. XX, p. 309. 
2 Ibid. p. 309. 

566 



THE OXFORD DOWN 567 

He also maintained that the good quahties could be better secured 
by using crossbred animals on both sides than by using the first 
cross. Crossing was undoubtedly continued for many years, with 
the view of securing a sheep better suited to light farm land and 
producing superior mutton and a heavier fleece than that yielded 
by the pure-bred. " Mr. C. S. Read," says Wrightson, " tells us 




Fig. 262. An Oxford ram imported in 1900 by George McKerrow & Sons of 
Wisconsin, a first-prize winner at six state fairs that year and five times sweep- 
stakes ram. This ram is blacker and barer of face than with the present-day 
Oxford Down. From photograph, by courtesy of the National Stochnaii and Farmer 

that the (flock) owner formerly divided his flock into three parts, 
putting a half-bred ram to the ewes that were about right — a 
Cotswold to the small ones and a Down to the coarser sheep." 

It is said that the breed has '" been kept distinct from either 
parent strain" since about 1854. At this time the breed, then 
known as New Oxfordshire, was coming into high favor. In 
1857 the name "Oxford Down" was adopted. In 1859, in com- 
ments in the Royal Agricultural Society Report on the sheep at 
English shows, it is stated that some excellent sheep of this breed 



568 SHEEP 

have been shown at the various meetings, but their career has 
been most noticed in the yard of the Smithfield Club Show, 
where Oxford Down fat wethers " again and again astonished the 
pubHc." Oxford Downs were first given a class at the Royal Show 
in 1862 at Battersea, and from this time on, for some years, the 
lack of uniformity in breed character and type caused consider- 
able unfavorable comment by the judges, which resulted in marked 
improvements into a more fixed type. 

The introduction of Oxford Down sheep to America first occurred 
in 1846, when " New Oxford or Cotswold crossbred sheep " were 
imported to the United States by Clayton Reybold of Delaware. 
In 1853 W. C. Rives, then in England, sent to his home in 
Virginia i ram and 5 ewes. In September, 1853, R. S. Fay of 
Lynn, Massachusetts, imported a ram and 10 ewes. The Ohio 
Cultivator of August 15, 1853, reports that Messrs. Baldwin 
and Boardman of Columbiana County, Ohio, sold Oxfordshire 
bucks and Southdown bucks — 20 head for ^800. Late in 1853 
J. T. Andrew of West Cornwall, Connecticut, estabhshed a flock 
which became famous, as did also that of Mr. Fay. Lawrence Smith 
of Middlefield, Massachusetts, must have established a flock about 
this time, or even before, for in i860 Charles L. Flint states ^ that 
Mr. Smith " has bred them for over eight years." Smith has also 
been credited with buying 27 head in 1857 from J. T. Andrew, 
who also sold a flock to C. L. Whiting of Granville, ( )hio. This 
breed seems to have attracted considerable attention, and even as 
early as 1859 a flock was owned in Texas by Colonel C. G. Forshay, 
who had purchased from J, T. Andrew. The Civil War caused a 
break in Oxford Down interests, and not until years afterward did 
this breed again come into prominence. Along in the nineties 
importations again became active, and for many years considerable 
numbers of Oxfords were brought to America, W. A. Shafor of 
Ohio, R. J. Stone of Illinois, George McKerrow of Wisconsin, 
and Robert Miller of Ontario, Canada, being prominent in this 
work. In recent years Oxfords have not been brought to the 
United States in important numbers. 

Characteristics of Oxford Down sheep. This breed, at a super- 
ficial glance, closely resembles the Shropshire. It is hornless, has 

1 Eighth Annual Report Secretary Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture. 



THE OXFORD DOWN 



569 



a dark brown face and legs, is vvooled over the forehead, and is 
a typical mutton sheep. However, under average conditions the 
Oxford Down is lighter brown than the Shropshire, is not so 
heavily wooled over the head, though with longer, looser forelock, 
has a larger frame and more scale, with a longer, more open 
fleece. In early days the Oxford face was speckled or mottled 
brown and white or gray, and the fleece was rather long and open, 
quite suggestive of the long-wool type, as might he expected, con- 
sidering the Cotswold blood used. The modern Oxford, however, 
has been bred to be 
uniformly brown in 
face, though the Amer- 
ican standard calls for 
an even dark gray or 
brown face with or 
without a gray spot on 
the lower part of the 
nose, and the fleece 
has been bred shorter 
and more compact. 
The head of the Ox- 
ford is rarely wooled 
much below the fore- 
head, and the dark gray 
or brown ears tend to 
be somewhat long and 

thin and free of wool. As a rule Oxfords show the distinctive 
mutton form, with a strong breadth of back and excellent leg 
of mutton. The skin of the Oxford Down, like the Shropshire, 
is frequently bluish tinted, lacking the pink, bright cherry color 
most admired. The twentieth-century Oxford Down is a sheep 
of much merit, but lacks the refinement of Southdown or Shrop- 
shire, as expressed in the grosser size and quality of bone 
and fleece. An interesting comparison of the Oxford and Shrop- 
shire by John Wrightson ^ of England, who was a keen ob- 
server of sheep and lived close to their native home, is well 
worth quoting here : 

1 Sheep: Breeds and Management, p. 70. I>ondon, 1895. 




Fig. 263. A reserve ( Jxford Down stud ram in the 

flock of the late John Bryan, South Leigh, England. 

From photograph by the author 



570 SHEEP 

As the remark has been made by a practical man that the Oxfordshire and 
Shropshire sheep are so alike that when classed together at earlier meetings 
of the Royal, "many considered them one kind of sheep," I will point out the 
characteristic difference which close inspection will reveal. The Oxfordshire 
head is longer, and the profile is bolder and slightly more Roman and fine ; 
the Oxfordshire ear is long and thin, whereas the Shropshire has a shorter 
and rounder ear. The Oxford carries himself a little more gaily and sprightly, 
and his wool is rather longer and looser than the Shropshire. The wool on the 
head of the Oxford is longer, and more of the flowing nature of a fore lock. 
That of the Shropshire sheep is closer, fitting like a continuous cap or helmet. 

The size of the Oxford Down places it in the first rank. Rams 
have been shown that weighed above 400 pounds, and 275 pounds 
for the mature male is a weight easily attained. Mature ewes 
should weigh close to 200 pounds or more. In a statement in 
the Breeders' Gazette in 1889, on Oxford weights, Mr. George 
McKerrow, a prominent breeder, gave the following figures : 
2 rams two years old averaged 303 1 pounds each ; 4 yearling 
rams averaged 203 pounds each ; 4 aged ewes averaged 2 1 5 
pounds each; 5 yearling ewes 177 pounds each; and 8 March 
and April lambs, about September i, averaged 118 pounds each. 
These were not fat sheep. In the Ainejiean Sheep Breeder an 
Ohio man writes that in September, 1890, his ewes from one to 
five years old averaged 193 pounds and his rams 325 pounds. 
The standard of excellence places the weights of mature rams at 
250 to 350 pounds and ewes at 180 to 275 pounds. Coffey places 
the weights at 275 to 300 pounds for rams in breeding condition 
and ewes at 200 pounds or more. 

The Oxford Down as a feeder ranks deservedl}- high. Ik^ng 
quiet of temperament and of considerable size, the breed easily 
thrives under conditions of restraint and fattens rapidly to large 
size. In the Iowa fattening wether-lamb test the Oxfords in one 
trial gained a daily average of .52 pound and in a second trial 
.40 pound, requiring in the first trial 740 and in the second 
103 1 pounds of dry matter for each 100 pounds of gain. The 
Oxford carcasses did not dress out as well as most of the other 
breeds, those in the first trial rating 55.2 per cent and in the 
second 50.08, and bringing $4.50 per hundredweight live weight 
in the first trial and $5.40 in the second. The Iowa records 
give the Oxford about an average rating in feeding results. In 



THE OXFORD DOWN 



571 



the Smithfield Club Shows from i<S95 to 19 12 fifty-three Oxford 
wethers showed a daily gain of .44 pound, and fifty-six wether 
lambs .66 pound per day, surpassing both Southdown and 
Shropshire. The general evidence shows the Oxford to be a 
feeder that will do well for considerable periods and such as the 
market readily purchases. It is as feeders that these sheep have 
met with the greatest favor in the corn belt and in Canada. 

The Oxford Down crossbred or grade has long met with favor, and 
in the United States more especially in the fertile upper Mississippi 
Valley. From the first 
this merit of the Ox- 
ford was extolled ; it 
is a crossbred that 
feeds rapidly to advan- 
tage on a variety of 
lands. The large size 
and heavy-shearing 
quality of this breed 
have attracted our 
farmers, so that pure- 
bred rams are in de- 
mand to grade up 
flocks with Merino or 
common ewes. This 
produces offspring of 
excellent mutton qual- 
ities, shearing large fleeces and meeting with popular favor. This 
demand is not restricted to America. The English writers state 
that Oxford rams have been in special favor in Germany for 
crossing on Merino ewes, and that this use of them has been 
quite extensive. In Scotland the use of Oxford rams on Cheviot 
ewes or crossbred ewes is regarded with favor. At the Scotch 
National Fat-Stock Show Oxford crossbreds have made most 
excellent records. In 1908 D. W. Black of Ohio won the grand 
championship on a carload of mutton lambs with grade Oxford 
Downs averaging 113 pounds — a very choice, uniform lot, sired 
by (Oxford Down rams and out of grade Western Merino ewes of 
the smooth, muttony sort that make the best of mothers. 




Fig. 264. The champion Oxford Down ewe at the 

Ohio State Fair, 1918. Bred and exhibited by J. C. 

WilHamson & Son, Xenia, Ohio. From photograph 

by the author 



572 SHEEP 

The prolific quality of the Oxford Down has long caused favor- 
able comment among the breeders of this class. Twins are fairly 
frequent, and the ewes usually make good mothers and furnish 
ample milk to the lambs. The ewes, however, do not rank with 
the Shropshire in producing twins, Craig states ^ : 

One of the leading agricultural societies of the country has offered prizes 
to the shepherd who shall rear up to the first of May the greatest number of 
lambs from the ewes put to the ram. In 1886 the winner reared 198 lambs 
from 1 30 ewes, slightly better than one and one-half lamb from each ewe in 
the flock previous to September. The next year in the same flock, 132 ewes 
gave a return of 213 lambs reared by the first of May. 

Approximately a lamb and a half to a ewe may be estimated for 
carefully selected ewes. 

The Oxford Down as a wool producer is in special favor to-day. 
Shearing a heavy fleece of quarter-blood combing wool, three to 
four inches long, which tends to coarseness and length of staple, 
it satisfies the demand of the farmer for weight. There is consid- 
erable variation, however, in the quality of the Oxford wool, those 
sheep with open fleeces having much coarser and longer staple 
than those of a more compact sort. In i860 Lawrence Smith of 
Massachusetts stated that his flock of store and breeding ewes 
usually sheared from 5 to 7 pounds, with his rams' fleeces some- 
times weighing 10 pounds. Thirty years later an Ohio breeder 
wrote that his Oxford Down flock sheared an average that year 
of II pounds 14 ounces per head. In the Iowa breed test the 
Oxford wether lambs in one trial sheared 1 1 pounds and in another 
8 pounds, the fleeces bringing $1.44 and $1.16 respectively, 
materially excelling all other middle-wool breeds. This is in fact 
the heaviest shearing of any of the Down breeds, and instances 
are reported of fleeces weighing as much as 20 pounds. A 
weight of 10 to 12 pounds unwashed wool may be expected in 
the case of well-bred sheep given proper care. 

The prices paid for Oxford Down sheep have not ranged very 
high. In i860 R. S. Fay had a sale at Lynn, Massachusetts, 
when the prices ranged from $7.50 to $51 a head. In 1876 
T. S. Cooper of Pennsylvania showed the ram Freeland at the 

^ John A. Craig, Sheep Farming in North America (1913), p. 124. 



THE OXFORD DOWN 573 

Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, a famous prize winner 
there and in England, which he hired of A. F. M. Druce of 
England for ^425. The annual Oxford Ram Fair in England 
shows something of prices current for this breed. In 1900 at this 
sale the highest price paid was 42 guineas (^210) for a yearling 
ram, and fifty yearlings from the flock of Worley & Son averaged 
slightly over $50 per head. In 1903 sixty rams sold by George 
Adams averaged $40. The same year, at the sale of J. T. Hobbs, 
the average was in excess of ^75 per head, one ram bringing 
$290. At the 19 1 6 ram sale at Oxford a lamb consigned by 
R. \V. Hobbs and Son sold for $360, and thirty lambs averaged 




Fig. 265. Oxfords on pasture on the farm of George Adams, Faringdon, England. 
From photograph by the author 

about $110 a head. In the United States, Oxford Downs have 
not come under the high-priced classification, and the better-class 
sheep change hands at reasonable and modest values. 

The distribution of the Oxford Down is very widespread. 
Originally confined to Oxfordshire, it is now found in about a 
score of counties in England, as well as in Scotland, Wales, and 
Ireland. So greatly has the breed grown in favor in recent years 
that it has become very widely distributed, flocks now existing in 
Germany, P" ranee, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, Brazil, Argentina, 
Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, and else- 
where. In this country there are Oxfords in many states, although 
Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, and New York have noted 
flocks, as well as Ontario, Canada, where the breed has long met 
with favor. In 1908 it was estimated that there were four thousand 
head of pure-bred Oxfords in Canada, and to-day it may be fairly 



574 SHEEP 

assumed that most of the choice flocks of the breed in America 
are located in Ontario. While essentially a type of sheep suited 
for a fertile, arable, or well-grassed country, level or slightly 
rolling, it has seemed to adapt itself to a considerable range of 
conditions. Within a comparatively few years Oxford rams have 
grown in favor on the range west of the Missouri. But as a breed 
the Oxford is not suited to a short-grass country. 

The promotion of Oxford Down sheep was first attempted in 
an official way by the American Oxford Down Sheep Record 
Association, which was organized in 1882 at Cincinnati, Ohio. 
This association published its first flock book in 1883 and has 
since then, up to 19 19, issued fourteen volumes, including the 
registration of about 83,500 sheep. In 1888 the Oxford Down 
Sheep Breeders' Society was organized at Oxford, England, and 
the first volume of their flock book appeared in 1889, in which 
fifty-four flocks were registered. Since its organization the Eng- 
lish society, up to 19 18, has published thirty flock books and 
registered 9270 rams, 3241 ewes, and 358 flocks. 



CHAPTER LI 

THE HAMPSHIRE DOWN ^ 

The native home of Hampshire Down sheep is in south-central 
England, in the county of Hampshire, or, as it is commonly 
known in that country, Hants. The county, including the Isle 
of Wight, contains 1626 square miles, and its south boundary is 
along the English Channel, Winchester is the county seat, while 
Portsmouth and Southampton are large and important maritime 
cities of Great Britain. Like all of south England, the climate 
is very temperate the year round ; in fact, the Isle of Wight is 
regarded as possessing the mildest climate on the entire coast. 
The land is rolling, being crossed by the North and South 
Downs. The soil is of a chalky character, none too fertile, but 
producing fair crops of the small cereals and roots and fine grass 
for sheep pasture. 

The origin of the Hampshire Down sheep traces back to at 
least two sources, crossed with improved stock. In the counties 
of Hampshire and Wiltshire and also to some extent in other 
near-by counties were large, slow-maturing, white-faced, narrow- 
backed, fine-fleeced sheep with horns, known as Wiltshires. The 
horns turned back behind the ears and about the cheeks, from 
which peculiarity they were known as " crooks." There were 
no other sheep like them in PLngland, and by 1837, as a result 
of crossing, they had practically disappeared. In the county of 
Berks there was also another old type with horns, strong and 
vigorous, with dark face and legs. Early in the last century these 
two types were crossed again and again with the Southdown. 
About 1835 the sheep of Hampshire and Wiltshire generally 
showed Southdown type and character, and they were exhibited 
at the Royal Agricultural Society Show at Oxford in 1840 as 

^ In view of the fact that a breed of swine is also named Hampshire, the author 
feels that the word " Down " may well be used as a part of the name as applied 
to the breed of sheep. Hampshire Down is also the official title used to-day 
in England. 

575 



576 



SHEEP 



West Country Down sheep, which name they long retained. 
From this stock was evolved the present type, known as 
Hampshire Down. 

The early improvement of the Hampshire Down is largely due 
to Mr. William Humphrey of Oak Ash, JS'ewbury, Hampshire, 
and Mr, James Rawlence of Bulbridge, Wilton, the same county. 
Mr, Humphrey, however, is the most important of these, being 







H^P^^i ^'liiiF"- ■'' T 1 


-If 'BEi 


^Hk^^ ^^Sif^ *-^'^ImHHp^' 



Fig. 266. Thatched cottages in the village of Downton, near Salisbury, England, 
in the Hampshire Down country. From photograph by the author 

essentially the great Hampshire Down improver, with Mr, Rawlence 
a most important later factor. About 1834 Humphrey began 
gathering up as choice a flock as possible of West Country Down 
ewes, breeding to them rams of the same class. In 1842 he 
became impressed with the improved breeds at the royal show 
at Oxford, notably the Cotswolds, and believed that his sheep 
might be improved by crossing. Consequently he obtained a 
choice Southdown ram from Jonas Webb and crossed on his 
ewes with much success. Later he obtained other rams, three 
in all, the only outside ones ever used in his flock. At first 



THE HAMPSHIRE DOWN 



577 



he suffered loss in size, but he culled out the finer-boned, smaller 
ewes and bred only the larger, more robust ones, using choice 
crossbred rams of his own breeding. Mr. Humphrey was very 
particular about his sires and the ewes to which they were bred, 
selling all undesirable animals to the butcher. According to his 
old shepherd, Abraham Hopkins,^ he never bought ewes but 
once, on which occasion he secured 25 from a lot of 100; 




Fig. ju, . lL..;.iJi.hire Down rams owned at Chilmark Farms, New York. From 
photograph, by courtesy of C. V. Phelps, superintendent 

Rawlence secured 25 also, and a neighbor 100. In narrating to 
Professor Wrightson the method of building up the breeding 
flock, Hopkins said : 

Every lamb was marked as it fell, and those which showed any breachiness 
or coarseness were notched at the top of the ear ; and no matter how well these 
lambs turned out, they were castrated and went to the butcher. Every lamb, 
in fact, which was not let for breeding was fattened off, and no ewes were ever 
sold. Only good ewes were kept for breeding, and all the rest were sold to 
butchers. The ewes which were thought good enough for the flock were bred 
from until they were worn out. One favorite was kept till she was fourteen 



1 John Wrightson, Sheep: Breeds and Management. London, 1895. 



578 SHEEP 

years old, and her last lamb was Oliver Twist. This ewe had no udder for the 
last four years of her life, and Oliver Twist was given to another ewe. This 
ram was first in his class at Leeds and Battersea. 

Humphrey died in 1868, when his flock, one of very superior 
merit, was dispersed. Mr, James Rawlence of Bulbridge bred 
rather differently, beginning with the Sussex breed, crossing the 
larger and more robust ewes with the West Country Down or 
Hampshire Down rams. He frequently used rams of Mr. Hum- 
phrey's breeding, and later bought Hampshire Down ewes to 
which he bred rams of his own stock. By using new blood grad- 
ually and practicing careful selection, Mr. Rawlence developed a 
flock "of the highest merit," a distinct improvement over the type 
bred by Humphrey. Wrightson, himself a Hampshire Down 
breeder, states that Mr. Rawlence ""is regarded by many as the 
father of the breed " and further notes that " we may look on 
the Bulbridge flock as fairly representing the Hampshire Down 
as we see him at the present time" (1895). 

The introduction of Hampshire Down sheep to America is said 
to have occurred in 1855, when Thomas Messenger of Clarence 
Hall, Great Neck, Long Island, New York, imported a ram and 
five ewes bred by Francis Budd of Hampshire. These were ex- 
hibited in the United States and won prizes at various shows, 
and Henry S. Randall states ^ that they found a rapid sale in 
the South prior to the Civil War. But little was done, however, 
prior to 1880, to introduce more Hampshires. In 1881 Henry 
Metcalf of Canandaigua, New York, imported the ram Shepherd's 
Pride 2d. In May, 1887, E. F. Bowditch of Framingham, Massa- 
chusetts, made an importation from Thomas Chick of Stratton, 
Dorsetshire, England, and by 1892 Mr. Bowditch had a flock of 
seven hundred head, the largest number of sheep owned by one 
man in the state. About 1883 the breed found its way into Mich- 
igan, and in 1885 became known in Ohio, Wisconsin, and else- 
where. In recent years the Hampshire Downs have grown much 
in popularity, and many sheep have been imported to America. 

Characteristics of the Hampshire Down. The Jicad is very dark 
brown or almost black in color, is rather large, and frequently has 

1 The Practical Shepherd (1868), p. 61. 



THE HAMPSHIRE DOWN 



579 



a pronounced Roman nose. The lips and nostrils are black. The 
ears are moderately long, large, and thin, of a dark mouse color 
behind, and are more pointed than with Shropshire or Southdown. 
In the best type the ears lean outward slightly. The neck tends 
to be a bit long, lacking the shortness of the Southdown ; yet 
Wrightson, the best British authority on this breed, states that it 
is thick and muscular and is considered to be a point of special 
excellence and importance. He further states that the shoulder tops 
are wide and that the girth behind the shoulders and of the entire 
fore end must be well 
marked to secure any at- 
tention either in the prize 
or sale ring. This breed 
has been criticized by Wal- 
lace, who states that a con- 
spicuous defect in ordinary 
specimens is a falling away 
behind the shoulder, but 
this defect is not common 
in the improved Hamp- 
shire Down of to-day. The 
type of body and general 
carcass is in common with 
accepted standards for 
other mutton breeds. The 
legs are dark brown in 
color, like the face ; in fact, the color is so deep a brown that 
it may almost be regarded as black. The skin should be a bright 
pink, but Hampshire Downs frequently have a bluish or dark skin 
much resembling the Oxford Down, In further reference to these 
breed characteristics Wrightson makes the following interesting 
comments upon the sources of their inheritance : 




Fu;. 268. A two-year-old Hampshire Down 
ewe, first and champion at seven American 
fairs in 1904. Owned and exhibited by Chil- 
mark Farms, New York. From photograph, by 
courtesy of Charles V. Phelps, superintendent 



The slightly Roman character of the face and the fine wool have no 
doubt partly been derived from the old Wiltshire horned sheep. . . . The 
quality of the flesh and the color have come through the Southdown, but 
the color has been deepened by selection. The length of ear has probably 
been derived from an alliance with the Cotswold. 



580 SHEEP 

The size of the Hampshire Down is large, being second only to 
the Oxford Down, although Wrightson classes the former as the 
largest of the middle-wool breeds. J. H. Taft of Michigan made 
an importation of ewes which in fair flesh averaged from 175 to 
200 pounds, while lambs of his own raising at about ten months old 
weighed an average of 11 31 pounds, James Wood of New York, 
once a leading American authority on the breed, gave 300 pounds 
for weight of the mature ram and something over 200 pounds 
for the ewes. Shaw and Heller place the weight of mature rams 




Fig. 269. Hampshire Downs on pasture, the Butterfield Ranch, Weiser, Idaho. 
From photograph, by courtesy of the A»ierica>i Sheep Breeder 

at 225 to 275 pounds and ewes at from 175 to 200 pounds, 
and state that it is, with the possible exception of the Oxford Down, 
the largest of the Down breeds and excelled in size only by the 
Lincoln and Cotswold among the long wools. Coffey gives the 
weight of rams in breeding condition at 250 to 300 pounds and ewes 
at 180 to 225 pounds. The standard of excellence of the breed 
makes no reference to size or weight. 

The Hampshire Down as a mutton sheep ranks high. It has 
long been a popular breed in the English mutton market on 
account of its rapid growth under intensive feeding. In Hamp- 
shire these sheep are generally hurdled on rape, kale, vetches, or 
roots, and are pushed faster than any other breed — lambs making 
gains of about a pound a day in many instances. They seem to 



THE HAMPSHIRE DOWN 



581 



have a great capacity for assimilating food to advantage. At the 
Smithfield Fat-Stock Show in England, Hampshire Downs have 
held a leading place among the best killers and have demonstrated 
daily gains rarely surpassed. In giving weights and gains of fat 
wethers at this show, from 1895 to 191 5 inclusive, Henry and 
Morrison ^ show that 78 yearling Hampshire Down wethers had 
an average weight of 282 pounds at six hundred and sixty-one 
days of age, showing an average daily gain of .42 pound. Year- 
ling wethers of the breed in carcass contests had a live weight 
of 185 pounds and 
dressed out 64 per 
cent carcass. These 
sheep, owing to their 
large size and heavy 
bone, will not dress 
out as well as some 
of the lighter breeds, 
neither does the mut- 
ton ranis: quite so high 
in quality. 

The Hampshire 
Down for early lambs 
has held a premier 
place in the United 
States for many years. 
They were first pro- 
moted in the East for 
this special quality, as 

a valuable feature for the Eastern early-lamb market ; and James 
Wood and J. S. Woodward, both of New York, imported many 
years ago for this special purpose and became large early-lamb 
producers. One may find many testimonials in behalf of the 
rapid gains in weight by the lambs, and it is probable that this 
breed has no superior for gains made during the first two or three 
months after birth. Smithfield records compiled by Henry show 
that 94 Hampshire Down lambs, averaging three hundred and 
nine days of age, gained an average of .6^ pound a day per 

1 Feeds and Feeding {191 5), p- 518. 




Fig. 270. Hampshire Down ram, champion at the 
1918 Ohio State Fair. Shown by the Munroe Stock 
Farm, Lucas, Ohio. From photograph by the author 



582 SHEEP 

head, being equaled by no other Down breed but the Suffolk, 
which is credited with .70 pound. The lambs do not finish off 
for killing much before reaching 75 to 80 pounds live weight. 

The Hampshire Down for crossing or grading is valued by 
lamb producers in particular. In England it is customary to draft 
from the flock the old ewes and sell them at fairs, after which 
Cotswold or light-faced rams are bred to them. The result of the 
cross fatten rapidly and, if kept till yearlings, produce a large 
amount of mutton and wool. It is said that large numbers of 
Hampshire Down rams are sold into Lincolnshire, where they are 
bred to old Lincoln ewes for producing fat lambs or wethers. The 
Hampshire Down also crosses well on the Leicester. The Hamp- 
shire Down ram used on grade Merinos or pure-breds produces 
the dark face and superior mutton t}-pe of early lamb. This is 
one of the most popular crosses in America for using Hampshire 
Down blood. The demand for Hampshire Down rams on the 
Western range has been strong for some years on account of the 
value of the crossbred. A combination of pure-bred rams on grade 
Delaine Merino or Rambouillet ewes results in a class of lambs 
eagerly sought in the market, heavy weighers and profitable killers 
under fair conditions. 

The Hampshire Down as a grazer has recognized merit in Eng- 
land, where flocks are generally grazed in summer within hurdles, 
a condition to which they are well suited. They graze together, 
often in semicircles, and pasture closely. In Hampshire and 
Wiltshire a large number of sheep are maintained upon the land. 
Wrightson notes that his summer flock on the College Earm of six 
hundred acres at Down ton, with a favorable lambing season, con- 
sists of from 1250 to 1300 sheep and lambs, besides a dairy of 
30 cows and young stock, a very superior showing. This method of 
feeding has greatly increased the fertility of the lands where they 
are kept. In America the pure-breds do best on the more fertile 
lands of the corn belt, where feed is abundant ; or under conditions 
in the Ear West, where alfalfa and grain, rather than the open 
range, is made use of. The Hampshire Down cannot be regarded 
as a class of sheep equally qualified with the Merino or Cheviot 
to rustle for its food. A large, heavy type of sheep of this sort is 
naturally better adapted to arable lands than to less fertile areas. 



THE HAMPSHIRE DOWN 



583 



The fecundity of the Hampshire Down, while not of the highest, 
is distinctly superior. In 1903 the English association kept a 
lambing record of 37 flocks comprising 15,482 ewes. These 
reared 18,462 lambs, or 1 19.17 per cent, while only 2.21 per 
cent of the lambs dropped were lost. In a similar record for 
1902 the percentage raised was 116.82. This speaks well for 
the fecundity and maternal character of Hampshire Down ewes. 
The lambs are usually strong and lusty at birth and often weigh 
10 pounds or more. Craig states there is one case on record of a 




Fig. 271. Hampshire Down ewes on pasture at Walnut Hall Farms, Donerail 
Kentucky. From photograph, by courtesy of Robert S. Blastock, manager 



Hampshire Down lamb weighing 18 pounds at birth. The ewes 
are rated as good mothers, have large udders, are excellent milkers, 
and bring their lambs on rapidly to heavy weight for early age. 

The Hampshire Down as a producer of wool has only a very 
moderate place among the breeds. The wool is coarse in quality, 
grading three-quarters or three-eighths blood combing, has an 
average length of three inches, and covers the body with just fair 
density. The weight of a typical unwashed fleece of twelve 
months' growth will approximate eight pounds, which is light for 
so large a sheep, and furnishes just grounds for criticism. 

The prices received for Hampshire Down sheep in recent years 
have been undergoing greatly increased value. In 1903 Waters 
and Rawlence sold at public sale about 2500 head, which in 



584 



SHEEP 



general brought good prices. At the Earl of Carnarvon's sale one 
ram brought about $550 and 100 yearling ewes averaged about 
$35 each. At James Flower's Chilmark sale and ram letting, two 
rams were let at 135 guineas ($675) each, the record for thirty- 
two years up to that time, with several ram lambs selling for from 
34 to ^6 guineas ($170 to ^380). This was then regarded as 
one of the memorable sales of the breed. In 191 2, at the Brit- 
ford Sheep Fair held at Salisbury, England, a ram lamb bred by 




Fig. 272. Bishopstone Northington F821-25641 (imp.), a Hampshire Down ram 

sold for $1700 by Walnut Hall Farms, Donerail, Kentucky. From photograph, 

by courtesy of Robert S. Blastock, manager 

Mr. Flower sold to J. H. Ismay for 230 guineas ($1150), then 
the record price for the breed. Remarkable prices have been 
paid very recently in America for Hampshire Downs, especially 
at the ram sales held at Salt Lake City, Utah. In 19 17, at this 
sale, Walnut Hall Farm of Kentucky sold an imported ram to 
D. F. Detweiler of Idaho for $1500, a new record for the breed. 
John Nebeker also paid Walnut Hall Farm $750 for a ram. 
Sixty-three of the top rams of the breed averaged $196 and 425 
ewes averaged ;^72.8i. At the 19 18 ram sale at Salt Lake City, 
Walnut Hall Farm again broke the record in selling another ram 
to Mr. Detweiler for $1700. Another was sold to the Wood Live 



THE HAMPSHIRE DOWN 585 

Stock Company of Idaho for ^1050, one ram went to the Butter- 
field Live Stock Company at $525, and nine rams sold at prices 
ranging from $200 to $325. The Butterfield Live Stock Company 
of Idaho sold one ram for $700 and another for $425 ; and 
H. L. Finch of Idaho sold one ram at $750, another at $700, a 
third at $500, and twelve rams at prices ranging from $200 to 
$450. Nineteen ewes consigned by Finch averaged $105.25 per 
head. This 19 18 Salt Lake sale of Hampshire Downs, all things 
considered, was the most remarkable sale of mutton sheep ever 
held in America. 

The distribution of the Hampshire Down is widespread. In 
1903, for example, exports were made from England to the 
United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, 
Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Germany, Russia, Hungary, 
Portugal, Jamaica, and elsewhere. In 191 3, the year prior to the 
opening of the World War, 424 Hampshire Downs were exported 
from England, 166 going to North America, 129 to South 
America, 65 to Germany, and the rest to South Africa, Russia, 
and elsewhere. In England the breed is found in a score of 
counties, though chiefly in Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Sussex, 
Surrey, and vicinity, and is bred on a large scale. In 191 3 
James Harris and Son of Winchester, England, disposed of 31,000 
head, and at each of the Salisbury, Britford, and Wilton fairs 
15,000 ewes and lambs were sold at auction. Interest in the 
Hampshire Down in the United States until within a few years 
has been largely restricted to the eastern part of the country, espe- 
cially New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana, but now the 
breed has a strong hold in the Far West, with large and superior 
flocks in Idaho, Utah, Oregon, Washington, and California, 
Hampshire Downs have a comparatively small hold in Canada. 

Hampshire Down Sheep associations exist in England and 
America. The Hampshire Down Sheep Breeders' Society of 
England was organized in 1889 and up to 19 18 has published 
thirty-nine volumes of the flock book. The Hampshire Down 
Sheep Breeders' Association of America was also organized in 
1889, the first flock book being published in 1890. Up to 
19 1 8 fifteen volumes had been issued and 24,633 rams and 
57,982 ewes recorded. 



CHAPTER LII 
THE DORSET HORN 

The native home of Dorset Horn sheep is in the counties of 
Dorset, Somerset, and Wiltshire in southern England, Dorset, 
from which the breed is named, faces the English Channel on the 
south, with Somerset and Wiltshire in the interior as the northern 
boundaries. Dorset contains about one thousand square miles and 
is strictly an agricultural county, crossed by low-lying Downs, fer- 
tile, rolling hills, yielding rich harvests of the cereals, roots, and 
grasses. It is a soil rich in lime, and as one approaches the 
high cliffs from the sea he is much impressed with their chalky 
whiteness. The climate is mild and moist and well suited to out- 
door life the year round. From Weymouth harbor passenger ships 
make regular trips across the Channel to Jersey and Guernsey. 

The origin of the Dorset Horn sheep seems to be from the old 
native stock of Dorset and Somerset, which, so far as we have 
records, possessed horns in both sexes and was entirely white. 
As far back as 1749 Ellis in his "Shepherd's Guide" describes 
the sheep in this region as having "' white faces, white and short 
legs, broad loins, and fine curled wool." In 1842 Professor Low 
wrote that from time immemorial there had existed in Dorset a 
breed of sheep with horns common to both sexes, having white 
face and legs, low shoulders, broad, deep loins, long but not coarse 
limbs, black lips and nostrils (though sometimes flesh-colored), and 
possessing fine wool. In the adjoining county of Somerset was a 
rather larger type of much the same breed, lanker in form, longer 
wooled, and with pink or flesh-colored nose (by which they were 
known as " Pink-Nosed Somersets "), which fattened to greater 
weight and had larger lambs than the sheep of Dorsetsliire. Low 
further comments on the encroachment of the Southdown and 
Leicester on the Dorset territory, stating that pure-bred flocks 
were becoming scarce owing to the crossing of these breeds. In 
fact, he stated that the breed was gradually diminishing and was 

5S6 



THE DORSET HORN 



587 



in danger of being extinguished. In 1856 Professor Wilson, 
another British authority, writes that "the practice of crossing 
with the Southdown is becoming very general." In this same 
connection Youatt, in 1837, comments on the use of Devonshire 
Knots and Leicesters on Dorsets, but says the cross was not suc- 
cessful. However, some flocks were apparently kept free from 
crossing, notably on the isle of Portland, where about four thou- 
sand sheep of a small Dorset type existed in 1840. The general 
improvement of the breed as a whole was secured by selection 




Fig. 273. A " royal winner " Dorset Horn ram, the property of H. Mayo, Coker's 
Frome, Dorchester, England. From an English engraving published in 1870 



on the part of \'arious breeders in the western part of Dorset, 
but especially by Richard Seymour of Bradpole, who, between 
1830 and 1840, perhaps, had the best flock extant. Between 
i860 and 1885 the breed was much improved by Henry Mayo 
of Coker's PYome. 

The introduction of the Dorset Horn to America is very recent, 
being the last of the well-known breeds brought from England to 
this country. The first Dorsets shown in the United States were 
some ewes and lambs exhibited in 1885 at the American Fat- 
Stock Show at Chicago by E, and A. Stanford of Steyning, Eng- 
land. The first owned in this country were purchased in March, 
1887, by William Daley of Lockport, New York, from Valancey 



588 



SHEEP 



E. Fuller of Canada. In May, 1887, E, F. Bowditch of Framing- 
ham, Massachusetts, made an importation, he being a special- 
ist in early-lamb raising. The following month Adin Thayer of 
Hoosic Falls, New York, imported 12 head. This same year (1887) 
Woodward & Jaques of Lockport, New York, and R. J. Buck 
of Bridgeton, New Jersey, made importations, and the following 
year, in July, Rutherford Stuyvesant of New Jersey imported 
2 rams and 28 ewes from the English flocks of John and William 
Kinder. In September, 1889, Mr. T. S. Cooper of Coopersburg, 

Pennsylvania, imported 
1 5 3 head, mostly from the 
flock of Thomas Mayo, and 
again in 1 89 1 brought over 
204 more head. The sheep 
imported by Mr. Cooper 
were very superior and were 
sold and distributed among 
numerous breeders, espe- 
cially in the East. The first 
Dorsets in Ohio were 
shipped to that state by 
Mr. Cooper in 1891. 

The characteristics of 
the Dorset Horn sheep are 
distinctive in part, as this 
is the only horned breed in Britain with white face and leg. In 
general conformation the Dorset tends to have a body a bit long 
and rangy and lacking in refinement. The head is conspicuous 
in having horns present with each sex. The well-matured ram 
has a strong horn which curves backward and around spirally, 
making, perhaps, nearly a turn and a half and coming somewhat 
close to the head. The horns on the ewes curve around forward, 
with the tips about level with the eye and turning in slightly. The 
head has a short foretop of wool which comes down to a line with 
the eyes, while the face and much of the jaws are covered with 
hard, white hair. The face is strong, with considerable breadth 
between the eyes, and the nostrils are white. Below the knees 
and hocks the legs are covered with white hair, though a short 




Fig. 274. A Dorset Horn ram, first prize in 
class at several state fairs in 1898, shown by 
Tranquillity Farm of New Jersey. From pho- 
tograph by the author 



THE DORSET HORN 



589 



covering of wool may prevail on the hind legs. The skin color is 
generally pink and attractive, breeders seeking a good color and 
especially objecting to spots. The hoofs, like the horns, should be 
white. In comparison with a Southdown or Shropshire, the Dorset 
is a rougher, coarser sort of sheep, longer of neck, with a tendency 
to prominent shoulder, high withers, uneven back line, and a lack 
of thickness in the hind quarters from the rump to twist. One is 
impressed with the Dorset as a strong, hardy sheep with consider- 
able room for improvement in conformation, fleshing, and quality. 




Fig. 275. A Dorset Horn ram, champion at the 1918 Ohio State Fair. Exhibited 
by L. R. Bradford, Rochester, Ohio. From photograph by the author 



The size of the Dorset Horn is from medium to heavy among 
middle-wool breeds. Mature rams in fair flesh should weigh 
about 225 pounds and ewes 165 pounds. In some cases, how- 
ever, much larger weights are secured. Mr. T. S. Cooper selected 
a large type in his importations. One two-year-old ram attained 
a weight of 317 pounds and a yearling 287 pounds, while ram 
lambs weighed 184 and 164 pounds at five months and one week 
old. These were mostly first-prize winners. Three first-prize 
yearling ewes at the 1889 royal show weighed at shearing time 
262, 245, and 222 pounds respectively, and in August each 
dropped twin lambs. These, however, were excessive weights. 
Shaw and Heller credit the breed with considerable variation in 



590 



SHEEP 



size and give weights of 200 to 225 pounds to the ram in breed- 
ing condition, with 150 to 175 pounds to the ewe; while Coffey 
states that mature rams weigh approximately 275 pounds and 
ewes 180 to 200 pounds. According to Henry and Morrison the 
average weight of 23 yearling fat Dorset wethers at the Smithfield 
Show, six hundred and seventy-nine days old, was 261 pounds, 
while 49 lambs at three hundred and thirty-one days of age 
averaged 200 pounds. The present-day demand for Dorset 

Horns is for the larger 
type of ram and ewe, 
but even under most 
favorable conditions 
these are not likely to 
surpass 250 and 180 
pounds respectively. 

The Dorset Horn as 
a mutton producer can- 
not be placed in the first 
class, ranking about 
medium. The meat 
of the wether is of fair 
quality when not over- 
fat, while fat lambs 
rank very well indeed. 
In the dressed carcass 
the Dorset does not 
reach the best standard . 
In the Iowa Station breed tests, in the first trial with fattening 
wether lambs, the Dorset made an average daily gain of .48 pound 
and dressed 52.6 per cent carcass, being valued at $3.75 per 
hundred — the poorest record made by ten breeds ; while in 
the second trial they made a daily gain of .43 pound and dressed 
54.11 per cent (being surpassed only by the Southdown), the car- 
cass selling at $5.50 a hundred compared with $5.75 for the South- 
down and $5.60 for the Shropshire. The average daily gain for 
the 23 yearling wethers shown at the Smithfield Show between 
1895 and 1912, as given by Henry and Morrison, was .38 pound, 
while 49 lambs made an average daily gain of .60 pound. In 



■ 




■ 


■Lk^ 


j3 '^ ' 


"^■f-- .?^^^^H 


^HJ^^'Wis-EjUI 


mr-i^^m 


n 


^^1^%'^H 





Fig. 276. A pair of Dorset Horn rams in Dorset- 
shire, England. From a photograph by the late 
J. E. Wing, by courtesy of Mrs. Wing 



THE DORSET HORN 591 

these gains the Dorset Horn surpassed the Hghter Down breeds 
but did not do so well as Suffolk, Hampshire, or Oxford. 

The Dorset Horn as an early-lamb producer has great distinc- 
tion, having long been famous in this regard over other British 
breeds. The ewes will breed during much of the year, so that 
they have a special value for producing Christmas lambs. It has 
long been customary in England to breed the ewes in June and 
July to lamb in November and December, furnishing early lambs 
for the London market. In the United States, owing to the hot 
summers, the ewes are more readily bred from the middle of 
March into May. The lambs fatten rapidly and soon attain good 
weights. In England November or December lambs are generally 
sold fat in March and April, when they weigh 40 to 44 pounds 
in the dressed carcass, according to Thomas Chick, long a well- 
known Dorset breeder. Dorsets were first introduced to America 
for hothouse lambs, and in the late eighties J. S. Woodward of 
Lockport, New York, was shipping these lambs to New York. 
This industry has continued more or less in the eastern United 
States ever since. Mr. Fred Huyler writes^ that recently he 
received a letter from one of the largest sheep breeders in the 
country, in which he says : 

We have slaughtered over 400 hothouse Iambs since January first, and 
expect to slaughter about 100 more before the warm weather sets in. These 
were all Dorsets, or a cross with Southdown ewes and a pure-bred Dorset 
ram. The average price received for them was $16 apiece, with an average 
weight of 55 pounds. Most of the lambs were dropped since October i, 1917. 

Mr. Huyler states that in his own experience six lambs dropped 
in his flock October 15, 1917, at the end of five months weighed 
an average of about 130 pounds, showing a daily gain of almost 
I pound each. 

The Dorset Horn for grading or crossing has a special value 
if mutton production is the thing sought. Shropshire or South- 
down rams on old Dorset Horn ewes will produce very high-class 
lambs with dark faces, just what the market wants. A grade 
or cross from Merino stock meets with favor in America. In 
discussing this subject Messrs. Wing and Miller state that a 

1 American Sheep Breeder, May, 1918. 



592 



SHEEP 



Merino grade from large, roomy Merino ewes and a blocky, 
vigorous Dorset ram will prove a surer breeder, if possible, than 
the pure-bred Dorset ewe. There are not many growers of hot- 
house lambs who do not prefer Dorset Horn grades from Merino 
foundation to any other, the pure-bred not excepted. These 
ewes are again bred to pure-bred Dorset Horn rams, and the result 
is a very blocky, easily fattened lamb. These grade ewes are 
also better milkers than the pure-breds. At Purdue University 




Fig. 277. A group of choice Dorset Horn ewes on pasture in Dorsetshire, Eng- 
land. From a photograph by the late J. E. Wing, by courtesy of Mrs. Wing 



especially fine results were secured from crossing a Dorset ram 
on Rambouillet ewes, as compared with lambs from the same 
kind of ewes sired by Shropshire and Rambouillet rams. The 
Dorset crosses showed the heaviest weight and gave the best 
dressing percentage, and the carcasses were thicker and showed 
more finish than the others. 

The prolificacy of the Dorset Horn sheep is one of its out- 
standing characteristics. This is manifested in two ways : one, 
that the ewes naturally breed so as to lamb twice a year ; the 
other that the ewes are especially prolific, even if lambing but 



THE DORSET HORN 



593 



once a year. The custom of breeding the ewes twice a year 
has been in vogue since the earhest history of the breed. It is 
doubtful, however, on the basis of lambing once a year, if the 
Dorset is the equal of the Shropshire in prolificacy. A writer 
on the Dorset Horn in the American Breeder (October 5, 19 16) 
states that the rate of increase may be put at 150 lambs per 
100 ewes, and when bred twice a year they will average 180 to 
200 lambs per 100 ewes annually. Craig places the rate of 
increase as high as 180 per cent. Relative to this subject 
Professor Frank Kleinheinz states ^ that at Wisconsin University 
Dorset ewes as a rule have dropped twins, and he cites one ewe 
of the flock that gave birth to 4 lambs, all of which she raised, 
and which weighed on an average 63 pounds at three months of 
age. He believes that 75 per cent of pure-bred ewes will lamb 
twice a year if bred for that purpose. The ewes make excellent 
mothers and produce a large amount of milk, often times drying 
off with difficulty. 

The Dorset Horn as a grazer is not in the first class. It will 
not do well on inferior pastures and is better suited to the richer, 
lower-lying farms than to uplands, especially if rough. In their 
native home, according to the English flock book, about one to 
one and one-half ewes are kept to the acre, and " they require 
plenty of room and are generally allowed to roam the pasture in 
the daytime, being brought to the arable land at night." They are 
also hurdled to a considerable extent on forage plants and roots. 

The Dorset Horn as a wool producer is open to material im- 
provement. Mature rams will shear about 9 pounds and ewes 
about 6 pounds of unwashed wool. Twenty imported sheep of 
J. B. Henderson of Pennsylvania are credited with shearing an 
average of 10 pounds each. The fleece of the Dorset has im- 
proved in weight and quality. Wrightson states that fifty years 
ago it was computed as averaging 3| pounds, whereas now (1895) 
a breeding flock of ewes will clip from 5 to 6 pounds of wool, 
and yearling ewes from 6 to 7 pounds, while rams will clip 8 to 
12 pounds each, all these weights following brook washings. 
Dorset sheep have too short a fleece and show too little wool 
on the underside of the body. The quality of the staple is of 

1 American Sheep Breeder (May, 1918), p. 309. 



594 



SHEEP 



medium grade. Shaw and Heller state ^ that twenty-five samples 
of Dorset fleece were graded upon the Philadelphia market for 
the United States Department of Agriculture, fifteen of which 
were three-eighths-blood combing and the other ten quarter- 
blood combing wool. The wool is rated as lacking somewhat 
in weight, but of excellent quality and free from discoloration. 




m^M\ 



Fig. 278. A IUji.slL limn ewe, champion at the lui-liana SLaic i'au. .shown by 
Tranquillity P'arm, Allamuchy, New Jersey. From photograph by the author 

"A well-known wool authority," discussing Dorset wool,^ makes the 
point that it possesses two advantages over the wool of the Down 
breeds ; namely, it is pure white when scoured and not a cream 
white, and it contains no trace of the black or brown fibers invari- 
ably found in Down wools, consequently its uses are not so lim- 
ited, as traces of brown fibers found in any wool prevent it from 

1 " Domestic Breeds of Sheep in America," Bullcti)! ip4, United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture, 191 4. 

^ American Sheep Breeder, May, 1918. 



THE DORSET HORN 



595 



being used for all-white or pale-colored woolen goods. This expert 
regards it as a little finer than Shropshire and a little coarser than 
Southdown wool. It is especially adapted for high-class winter 
hosiery and " is exclusively used for this purpose in England," 

Horns a protection to the Dorset Horn. Early advocates of the 
breed argued that by means of its horns the Dorset would pro- 
tect itself better from dogs than would hornless sheep, but this 
claim has been very generally discarded in recent years as not 
being worthy of special distinction. 

The distribution of the Dorset Horn is not so widespread as 
most other British breeds. In England it is found most abun- 
dantlv in Dorset and Somerset counties, especially on the island 




Fig. 279. A view in Dorsetshire, showing part of the Flower flocit of Dorsets 

soon after shearing. From photograph by H. B. Arbuckle, by courtesy of the 

A^atioiial Stockman and Fanner 



of Wight, and about Purbeck and Portland, where superior flocks 
exist. In 1903, at the annual meeting of the Dorset Horn Asso- 
ciation, 46,878 head were reported in Dorset, 9458 in Somerset, 
and 6728 on the Isle of Wight, these all being registered sheep. 
In 191 3 the Dorset Down Association in England had ninety- 
two members, possessing flocks which aggregated 43,194 sheep. 
At the annual sale of Dorsets at Dorchester as many as 15,000 
head are sold. The breed has not been taken up with much 
activity abroad. In the United States high-class flocks are found 
in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont, Pennsylvania, 
West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, but the breed is 
found in many other states and also in Canada. Dorsets have 
also been exported to Australasia and other British provinces.- 
Of nearly 20,000 pure-bred sheep in Canada in 1908 but 350 
were Dorset Horns. The breed seems well adapted to the level 



596 SHEEP 

or slightly rolling lands where food is abundant. It has also 
thrived in the Allegheny Mountain region under conditions of 
good grazing. 

Organizations of the Dorset Horn sheep breeders were perfected 
in 1 89 1 in both England and the United States. In Eng- 
land the Dorset Horn Sheep Breeders' Association gives official 
supervision to the breed. Its first flock book was published in 
1892, since which up to 191 7 it has issued twenty-six volumes. 
There is also in England another association for promoting the 
breed — the Dorset Down Sheep Breeders' Association. Each of 
these organizations has its office at Dorchester. In 1891 the 
Dorset Horn Sheep Breeders of America organized and estab- 
lished a flock book, publishing the first and second volumes in 
one in 1894. This association for many years has manifested no 
symptoms of activity. Owing to a disagreement among the mem- 
bers, in 1897 the Continental Dorset Club was organized, with 
headquarters in Ohio. This club published its first flock book in 
1900 and in 191 8 issued its eighteenth volume. This is essen- 
tially the only organization promoting the breed in America. 



CHAPTER LIII 

THE CHEVIOT 

The native home of the Cheviot breed of sheep is in the border 
country between England and Scotland, especially in the counties 
of Roxburgh (Scotland) and Northumberland (England). On the 
east these two counties are bordered by the North Sea. The 
country is hilly or mountainous, rising to an elevation of nearly 
three thousand feet in the section known as the Cheviot Hills. 
The hillsides are free of timber, excepting in the case of small 
artificial plantings, but are covered with short, nutritious grass. 
The climate is moist and rough, snow falling frequently in winter, 
although not usually attaining much depth. The country is sup- 
plied with many mountain streams, and the river Tweed and its 
tributaries drain much of the Scotch Cheviots. A great woolen 
industry is conducted in this region, with Kelso on the Tweed and 
Hawick on the Teviot as important centers. 

The origin of the Cheviot is obscure, like most other breeds. 
Cheviots have been bred in the border country from very early 
times. In 1791 David Irving published a letter in the 'Annals of 
Agriculture" relating to experiments by him on Cheviots com- 
mencing in 1777. The Cheviot has been crossed more or less 
with Black Faced Highland, Leicester, Southdown, and Merino, 
and the character of the breed has undergone great changes 
through careful selection, but the influence of the breeds men- 
tioned has not been notable. In 1796 Naismyth wrote ^ that the 
Cheviot was well polled, was smooth and white of face and leg or 
somewhat mixed with black or brown. There was a tendency to 
too much leg, the shoulders were thin in some individuals, and 
the fleece was generally close and even, the wool soft and fine, 
from two to three and one-half inches long. He further says : 
"The same kind of sheep have fed in this district (Cheviot Hills) 
from time immemorial ; nor does anybody allege that they were 

1 Annals of Agriculture, Vol. XXVII, p. 55. 
597 



598 



SHEEP 



ever natives of any other region." The British Wool Society 
over a century ago did much to popularize the breed, and at one 
time it became generally distributed over Scotland. The improve- 
ment of the Cheviot was gradually brought about by the breeders 
in general, although Mr. Robson of Belford, from 1757 on, by 
the use of Lincolnshire rams is credited with being the great 
constructive Cheviot breeder of the eighteenth century. Douglas, 




Fig. 280. The old home ol lames Rubson, Philhope, Yetholm, Scotland, where 
important early constructive breeding of the Cheviot took place. From photo- 
graph by the author 



in 1 798, states ^ that to remedy low and tliin shoulders three 
farmers — John Edmistoun of Mindrum, James Robson of Phil- 
hope, and Charles Ker of Riccaltoun — went to Lincolnshire 
"about forty years ago" and bought fourteen white-faced rams, 
and through these marked improvements were secured in their 
flocks. During the nineteenth century Thomas Elliott of Under 
Ilindhope, Jedburgh, and his son John were very famous breeders 
and improvers. 

1 Reverend Robert Douglas, General View of the Agriculture in the Counties 
of Roxburgh and Selkirk, 179S. 



THE CHEVIOT 



599 



The introduction of the Cheviot to the United States first 
occurred in 1838 by Robert Youngs of Delhi, Delaware County, 
New York. They had some time previously been imported into 
Canada by a Mr. Pope of Cookshire, Quebec. In 1842 George 
Lough and a Mr. Davidson of Delaware County, New York, 
made importations. In 1845 T. J. Carmichael imported three 
rams and six ewes to Jefferson County, Wisconsin, Cheviots 
were introduced into Pennsylvania in 1889 by T. M. Patterson; 
into Illinois in 1888 by E. Pumphrey, and into Indiana in 1891 
by H, H. Keim. In re- 
cent years quite a num- 
ber of fine Cheviots have 
been imported into the 
United States. 

Characteristics of the 
Cheviot. The iicad is 
usually hornless and is 
covered with hard, white, 
short hair to behind the 
ear and around the jaw. 
The lips and nostrils 
should be black, though 
frequently they are also 
mottled flesh-color and 
black. The nose should 

be broad, with a tendency to a Roman curve. The head is short and 
broad between the prominent, large eyes. The cars are white and 
free from wool and are thinner and longer than the Shropshire ear. 
The Cheviot shoulder is lighter than with lowland breeds, and the 
body lacks the breadth of the Shropshire and the Southdown. The 
zvitJiers incline to be high and sharp, the back is none too level, 
and the depth of body is only moderate. The bone is of fine 
quality and strong, as is quite manifest in the clean white legs. 
The ski)i is unusually pink and rich in color. The fleece covers 
the body and extends up the neck to behind the ears, forming a 
sort of collar and covering the legs to knees and hocks. The 
fleece is of the middle-wool class, neither fine nor coarse, of staple 
grading quarter-blood combing, and in the better flocks even 




Fig. 281. Cheviot rams, the first-prize pen at the 
Royal Agricultural Society of England Show, 
1900. Owned and exhibited by John Elliott, 
Under Hindhope, Jedburgh, Scotland. From 
photograph by the author 



6oo 



SHEEP 



three-eighths-blood, and averages about three inches long. Some- 
times the wool on the lower, back part of the thigh is long and 
tends to be hairy, a very objectionable feature. The head and ears 
often have small black spots which are not disqualifications but 
are regarded as objectionable. Reddish or sandy hair also occa- 
sionally occurs on face and legs, which is strongly objected to. 
All rams possessing well-defined horns an inch or more long are 
ineligible for registration. Horns occur occasionally on the rams, 
but are becoming more and more rare. The hoofs should be black. 

The tcmpcTament of 
the Cheviot is a strik- 
ing characteristic . H e 
carries himself with an 
uplift of head and alert- 
ness of ear and general 
style very distinctive of 
the breed and one of 
its greatest charms. In 
more recent years the 
tendency among the 
best breeders of Scot- 
land and America has 
been to produce a 
broader-backed, wider 
sheep all through, full 
in his hind quarter, short of leg, and with a fleece of marked quality 
and density. Judges in the best shows recognize this improvement. 
The size of the Cheviot is medium, comparable with the Shrop- 
shire for weight. Mature rams weigh about 200 pounds, with 225 
a standard, and ewes from 150 to 160 pounds. But few rams 
exceed 225 pounds, though ewes frequently surpass 160 pounds. 
The standard of the American Cheviot Sheep Society, adopted in 
1908, states that a ram at twenty-four months should weigh not less 
than 225 pounds and the ewe of the same age not less than 150. 
It has been stated- that this is a "" rather small " breed, with weights 
for rams at 175 to 200 pounds and ewes at 140 to 160 pounds, 
but the Cheviot certainly cannot be classed as small, even on the 
basis of these figures. 




Fig. 282. A Cheviot ram, champion at the show of 
the Highland and Agricultural Society, Hawick, 
1914. From photograph by the author 



Scotland, 



THE CHEVIOT 



60 1 



The Cheviot as a mutton producer stands high. In England 
the mutton of this breed, which is rarely too fat and has very 
superior quality, ranks in the first class. External fat is not abun- 
dant, but there is a desirable proportion of lean to fat. Professor 
Wallace of Scotland states that ewes fed on turnips twelve to four- 
teen weeks, and wethers from the hills at three years, weigh, killed 
and dressed, 60 to 70 pounds. Wethers a year younger, fed tur- 
nips, weigh about the same. The Cheviot at the Smithfield Fat- 
Stock Show has always made a good place for itself, and in 19 14 
Archibald MacNeilage, ed- 
itor of the Scottish Farmer, 
stated that as a mutton breed 
at this show it has been pre- 
eminent from the begin- 
ning. Henry and Morrison 
show^from Smithfield Club 
records that 53 yearling 
wethers averaging five hun- 
dred and ninety-two days 
and 224 pounds live weight 
made an average daily gain 
of . 3 7 pound, and 3 5 wether 
lambs weighing an average 
of 141 pounds at two hun- 
dred and thirty-eight days 
gained .59 pound daily, 
surpassing both Shropshire and Southdown in daily gain. In the 
carcass tests at the Smithfield Show 54 Cheviot lambs dressed 

59 per cent carcass, which is better than average. At the 191 1 
International Live-Stock Exposition, in the carcass contest the 
second-prize yearling wether was a Cheviot shown by Wiscon- 
sin University that had a live weight of 160 pounds and dressed 

60 per cent carcass. 

The crossbred or grade Cheviot has much merit as a mutton 
producer. The use of Border Leicester or Lincoln rams on 
aged Cheviot ewes has been practiced for a great many years in 
the border country, such half-breds having a comparatively high 

^ Feeds and Feeding (1915), p. 518. 




Fig. 283. A Cheviot yearling ewe, first prize 
in class at the Edinburgh Show, Scotland, 
1904. This is a fine example of Cheviot 
style and character. Bred and exhibited by 
J. R. C. Smith, Mowhaugh. From photograph, 
by courtesy of the owner 



6o2 SHKKl' 

value. MacNeilage brings out the Scotch system in an interesting 
manner, in which comparative merits are chscussed as follows : 

In the southeast of Scotland, and to a large extent in northeast Northumber- 
land, the produce of the Border Leicester tup (ram) and the Cheviot ewe has 
been the savior of agriculture. There you have land, too good to be utilized 
as a rearing ground for a mountain breed like the Cheviot, and not good 
enough to do justice to the Border Leicester. Some farseeing men, recogniz- 
ing that there was some sort of affinity between the two white-faced breeds, 
crossed them, and gave them the suggestive name of half-breds. It is not 
certain who actually was the first to suggest and practice the cross, but two 
names are usually mentioned as prominent. These are John Borthwick of 
West Newton, Northumberland, and Mr. Elliott of Lamberton, Berwickshire. 
From the Cheviot is derived a hardier constitution than the Border Leicester 
can boast, and from the Border Leicester more size and a greater tendency to 
ripen early. The half-bred is said to have wool more close planted, to be better 
clad than the Border Leicester, and the mutton is of finer quality than that 
produced by the latter breed. In addition to these qualities the half-bred 
is more prolific, and a better mother than her progenitor, four out of five 
producing twins. 

Oxford Down rams are also used on Cheviot ewes with success. 
Both of these- crosses produce very rapid-fattening lambs, giving 
a leaner and better quality of flesh, dressing out i6 to i8 pounds 
to the quarter at about twelve months old. Cheviot rams have not 
been used extensively in crossing, but when used on Merino grade 
ewes produce an easier-fattening lamb of more salable type. 

The Cheviot as a grazing sheep is unsurpassed. On its native 
hills it subsists entirely on pasture, excepting for hay which may 
be fed during excessive snow when the grass is covered. Ordi- 
narily the Cheviots paw aside the thin covering of snow on 
the hillsides and thus secure winter grazing. No breed is more 
essentially a grazing sheep. 

The Cheviot as a range sheep is of peculiar character. This 
breed docs not flock in the ordinary manner, each sheep moving 
about independently, thus scattering to a considerable extent. On 
the Scotch hillsides one sees no evidence of flockings such as 
the Merino exhibits. There are but few of these sheep on the 
Western range, but if the natural hardiness of the Cheviot could 
be combined with reasonable restriction of movement it would 
serve a valuable purpose to the ranchman. In recent years the 



THE CHEVIOT 



603 



breed has secured some foothold in the Canadian Northwest, 
where one very large flock is kept on the range. It is also 
growing in favor in eastern Canada, especially Quebec. 

The hardiness of the Cheviot is one of its strong characteristics. 
For generations raised on the hills, rarely seeing the inside of a shed 
or barn, summer or winter, it has from very force of circumstances 




Fig. 284. Cock Robin, champion Cheviot ram at the 19 18 Ohio State Fair. 
Owned by R. D. Grieve, Xenia, Ohio. From photograph by the author 



developed into the hardiest of the middle-wool breeds. The lambs 
are vigorous from birth and seem well suited to severe conditions 
of environment. On their native hills Cheviots, as a rule, receive 
no grain unless they be rams or show sheep. 

The prolificacy of the Cheviot is above the average, and one may 
be safe in assuming above 125 per cent. The lambs are usually 
dropped under rather vigorous conditions, yet they soon get up on 
their feet and begin nursing and are naturally very active. The ewes 
are excellent mothers and produce an abundant flow of milk. 



6o4 



SHEEP 



The Cheviot as a wool producer is only fair. The fleeces lack 
weight, although they have very satisfactory quality, the wool bring- 
ing a price ecjual to any of the medium class. Twenty-five Cheviot 
breeders give the average weights of fleeces in their flocks as 
ranging from 7| to 1 1 pounds per fleece for rams and 6 to 9 
pounds for ewes. Wallace states that a good average clip for 
ewes is 4| to 5 pounds of washed wool. The author has received 
from Scotland records of individual weights of a considerable 
number of fleeces in prominent flocks, the heaviest being 8 pounds 




Fig. 285. A Cheviot ewe, champion at the 1918 Ohio State Fair. Owned by 
R. D. Grieve, Xenia, Ohio. From photograph by the author 



for a stud ram, with many ranging from 5 to 6 pounds. Formerly 
Cheviot fleeces appeared somewhat open and long, and the breed 
has ignorantly been referred to by some as a long wool, whereas 
it is a true middle wool of three-eighths combing grade. In 
American flocks the fleece is being bred to be more compact and 
heavier, with a length averaging as near four inches as possible. 
Cheviot wool is valued by buyers, and in scouring tests at the 
Michigan Experiment Station the wool of this breed shrunk less 
than that of any other. 

High prices for Cheviot sheep have been paid in Scotland. 
Each year at Hawick annual ram sales arc held on a large scale. 



THE CHEVIOT 



605 



thousands of sheep being sold and many high prices paid, with 
good averages. At this sale in 1903 five breeders sold rams at 
prices ranging from ^150 to $575 each. At the 191 2 sale the 
ram Cheviot Dinmont sold to J. S. Dickson and A. and J. K. Smith 
for $625. At the 1914 sale the ram Millknowe Masterpiece sold 
for about $525, and the ram No. i Hindhope, bred by John Elliott, 
sold for a like sum. At a sale in 1865 at Beattock 165 Cheviot 
rams owned by Mr. Oliver of Hawick brought over $12,000, one 
three-year-old bringing $775 and a two-year-old $605. In 1902 




Fig. 286. A valley scene in the Cheviot Hills, Scotland. This picture shows the 
lack of the flocking habit with the Cheviot. From photograph by the author 

Mr. J. R. C. Smith of Yetholm, Scotland, purchased the ram 
Ambush (1545) for about $600. In 191 5 John Elliott purchased 
at Haw'ick at auction a two-year-old ram for about $1125. In 
191 7 a ram sold at Hawick for $1000. In 19 19 all Cheviot 
price records were broken when a yearling ram, the champion at 
the show of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, 
was sold by John Robson, Millknowe, to Messrs. Hogg, Newlands, 
and Robson for £620 ($3020). 

The distribution of the Cheviot is mainly in England, Scotland, 
and North America. In a considerable territory in the border 
country in Britain there are many large flocks, men counting their 



6o6 SHEEP 

holdings by thousands, this being the one breed in evidence on 
these hills. Cheviots are chiefly bred in Roxburgh, Dumfries, 
Peebles, and Sutherland counties (Scotland), and in Northumber- 
land County (England). They are also bred to a small extent in 
Ireland and have been exported to New Zealand, In Canada the 
breed has grown in considerable favor in recent years, and in 

191 8, in Saskatchewan, George W. Brown sold a flock of 600 
high-grade ewes to the government for distribution among the 
farmers. In the United States the Cheviot has been pretty well 
distributed from Tennessee north and from the Atlantic to the 
Far West. There are many flocks in eastern New York, with 
flocks in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Maine, Tennessee, 
and other states. In 191 8 the largest flock in the United States, 
numbering about 500 head, was owned in Maine, and the breed 
is rapidly growing in favor in the northeastern United States. 

Cheviot sheep breeders' organizations exist in Britain and the 
United States. The Cheviot Sheep Society of Great Britain was 
organized in 1891, Volume I of the flock book appearing in 
1893, there having been published twenty-eight volumes up to 

1 9 19, registering 3252 rams, ewes not being recorded. In 1891 
the American Cheviot Sheep Breeders' Association was organized 
in New York State. Owing to disaffection among the members, 
in 1894 the National Cheviot Sheep Society was organized in 
Indiana. In 1900 these organizations amalgamated, forming the 
American Cheviot Sheep Society, incorporated under the laws 
of New York. Each of the old associations published one flock 
book, while the new society in 1901 published another as Vol- 
ume III. Up to 191 8 this society had published its latest flock 
book in 1905, as Volume IV, with registration brought up to 3500. 



CHAPTER LIV 

THE SUFFOLK 

The native home of the Suffolk sheep is in southeastern Eng- 
land. There are four counties fronting the North Sea — Norfolk, 
Suffolk, Essex, and Kent, in the order named from north to south. 
Suffolk is a somewhat flat, low-lying county of 1489 square miles 
and contains considerable fertile area and is noted for breeds of 
horses and sheep, named after the county. Norfolk is a fairly 
level country of 2087 square miles and has long been noted for 
live stock and standard farm crops. Essex and Kent corner on 
the city of London, with the river Thames dividing them. Kent 
is the famous hop-growing section of England. 

The original stock of the Suffolk sheep was the old Norfolk 
and Suffolk heath sheep. These had a long, slender carcass, says 
Youatt, long legs, horns, and a black face. The fore quarters 
were deficient, the shoulders low, and the withers sharp. The 
hind quarters were fairly well developed. The fleece was short 
and fine and weighed light. The breed was hardy and prolific. 
These sheep were crossed with Southdown and Hampshire rams, 
although English Suffolk breeders assume the breed to have been 
maintained fairly pure since 18 10. The Southdown blood bred 
off the horns, improved the form, and gave a better carcass and 
earlier-maturing, easier-fattened sheep than the Norfolk, while 
the Hampshire blood gave size and weight. Mr. George Dobito of 
Ludgate, Suffolk, was one of the most important improvers of the 
Suffolk in the last century. The breed was first exhibited under this 
name in 1859 at the show of the Suffolk Agricultural Association, 
but was not recognized by the Royal Agricultural Society until 1886. 

The introduction of Suffolk sheep to America is as recent as 
1888, when two importations were made — one by M. B. Streeter 
of Brooklyn, New York, said to have been prize-winning stock, 
and the other by B. D. Sewell of Frederickton, New Brunswick, 
who brought over 20 ewes. Suffolks were first imported to Canada 

607 



6o8 



SHEEP 



also in 1888. In 1892 the Iowa Suffolk Sheep Society imported 
2 rams and 20 yearling ewes and placed them on the farm of 
G. W, Franklin at Atlantic. 

Characteristics of Suffolk sheep. The /lead, which is hornless, 
tends to be long and is characterized by a Roman nose. The 
ears are large and long and commonly incline forward ; the neck 
is moderately long ; the dodf, rangy but broad and full in the breast 




Fig. 287. Playford Model (7731), first-prize Suffolk ram at the Royal Agricul- 
tural Society of England Show, 1904. Owned by S. R. Sherwood, Playford, 
England. From photograph, by courtesy of William Cooper & Nephews, 
Berkhamsted, England 

and wide through the chest, has a well-sprung, deep n'd, is espe- 
cially strong in the dack and lorn, full and thick in the Mnd quar- 
ters, and notably strong in the twist. The legs tend to be short, 
and one is impressed with this as a fairly low-set sheep. The skin 
of the Suffolk should be "fine, soft, and pink." The head and ears 
are covered with distinctly black hair, and the legs also are black. 
Ordinarily the entire head is free from wool, but a small amount 
on the forehead is permissible. The Suffolk is quite similar to the 
Hampshire Down, and in this connection Wrightson says ^ : 

1 Sheep : Breeds and Management (1S95), P- 7^- 



THE SUFFOLK 609 

In examining Suffolk sheep the observer is struck with the blackness of 
the face and the general absence of wool upon the head or between the ears, 
which is so characteristic of the Hampshire Down sheep. This is the principal 
characteristic difference in appearance between the two breeds. 

The size of the Suffolk is nearly equal to the Hampshire and is 
greater than the Shropshire. It is stated that mature rams of 
Mr. Sevvell weighed from 200 to 240 pounds, while one of the 
imported yearling ewes of Mr. Streeter weighed 200 pounds, and 
a ram lamb nine months old 195 pounds. From figures given by 
Henry and Morrison ^ the average weight of forty-nine yearling 
wethers shown at the Smithfield Fat-Stock Show, between 1895 and 
191 2, at six hundred and forty-eight days of age, was 291 pounds, 
the heaviest of any breed but the Lincoln ; while "](> wether lambs 
averaging two hundred and eighty-seven days weighed 201 pounds 
and showed an average daily gain of .70 pound, the best record 
of any middle-wool breed. Shaw and Heller credit the rams with 
200 to 240 pounds' weight and the ewes 150 to 200 pounds, 
while Coffey places the rams at 250 and the ewes at 165 pounds. 
The breed standard makes no reference to weight, but good exam- 
ples weigh distinctly heavier than the Shropshire. The author has 
seen some Suffolks in American shows that were poor types of 
the breed and would find no favor in Fngland. 

The Suffolk as a mutton sheep holds high rank in its native 
country, evidently possessing superior qualities from Southdown 
inheritance, the fat and lean being in good proportion and the 
"■rain and flavor of the meat excellent. In the British mutton- 

o 

carcass contests the Suffolk has won a place of the first rank ; in 
fact, at Smithfield it has held first place on various occasions. 
Again quoting Henry, the Smithfield-show figures given by him 
bring out the fact that in twenty years the yearling Suffolk dressed 
64 per cent carcass. 

The Suffolk as a feeder also ranks well. It has been kept under 
conditions of moderate grain ration with considerable grazing, 
showing fair feeding returns. In experiments on fattening wether 
lambs at the Iowa Experiment Station the Suffolk gained rather 
faster per day than the Shropshire or Southdown in each trial, 
averaging .55 pound and .40 pound daily gain in two trials. They 

1 Feeds and Feeding, 191 5. 



6io 



SHEEP 



dressed out in carcass 53.6 and 52.54 per cent, and the carcasses 
were valued at $4.25 and $5 per hundred, a materially poorer 
showing, however, than most of the other breeds made. The 
average daily gain of Suffolk yearling wethers at the Smithfield 
show, of .45 pound per day, excelled any of the Down breeds, 
while the wether lambs made the remarkable daily average gain 
of .70 pound, being excelled only by the Lincoln with .72 pound. 




Fig. 2SS. A Suffolk ram, champion at the 1914 Show of the Royal Agricultural 
Society of England. From photograph by the author 

During twenty-one years, up to 191 5, in the Smithfield Club 
carcass competition Suffolks won eight championships and three 
reserves, in competition with all breeds and crosses. 

The Suffolk crossbred or grade is comparatively unknown in 
North America, but in South America it has been used on Merino 
grades to produce good mutton sheep. Suffolk rams are gaining 
much in favor in some parts of England and Scotland for using 
on draft ^ ewes. Commenting on the crossbred as it has appeared 
in Australasia, E. M. Prentice writes'^: 

1 Aged ewes culled from the flock. 

^ Live Stock Journal Almanac (London, 1917), p. 134. 



THE SUFFOLK 6ll 

The Victoria government recently included Suffolks in their well-conducted 
experiments to ascertain the comparative mutton value of various crosses. 
Lincoln, Border Leicester, Dorset Horn, Shropshire, Southdown, and Suffolk 
rams were mated with selected first cross Lincoln-Merino ewes, with the result 
that, in the first year, the Suffolk-cross lambs topped the market, were first in 
maximum weight of carcass, first in minimum weight, first in average weight, 
showed the least per cent of offal loss, and in value of the fleece were beaten 
only by the Lincoln cross. At fourteen to fifteen weeks the Suffolk-cross lambs 
were as heavy as the heaviest of the other crosses at seventeen weeks. At the 
last Canterbury show (the largest in New Zealand) an exhibit of Suffolk-cross 
wethers marked the first appearance of this cross on the show ground by win- 
ning the special prize offered by the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company for 
the best freezers. 

The fecundity of Suffolk ewes is advocated as a valuable point 
in behalf of the breed. Twins are common and triplets not un- 
common. In the spring of 1891, 32 ewes of Mr. Sewell raised 
58 lambs, while the same year 5 imported ewes of Mr. Streeter 
produced 1 1 lambs, and in 1892 tht same ewes produced 14 lambs. 
According to returns made to the Suffolk Flock Book Society of 
England, the number of lambs reared to June i, 1903, was 140,66 
per cent per 100 ewes as compared with 135.49 i^ 19^5 and an 
average of 133.87 per cent for the previous twenty-eight years. 
The ewes have large udders, produce an abundance of milk, and 
are rated as excellent nurses. 

The Suffolk as a producer of wool does not rank high. The 
fleeces are somewhat light, and the staple is of but moderate 
length, though fine and soft, and grades low three-eighths or 
quarter-blood combing. The Suffolk Society standard gives the 
fleece as of medium grade and specifies that it should be of even 
quality, present a smooth surface, and extend over the belly and 
well down on the legs. A fleece of nine pounds has been reported 
by some, but this no doubt would be a heavy average. 

Prices for Suffolk sheep in England have not been excessive. 
In 19 1 6, at the Suffolk Sheep Society's Special Sale at Ipswich, 
1439 yearling ewes averaged about $32 each. One ram was sold 
to go to Scotland for $700. The average price of 408 rams was 
$68. At the three principal lamb sales 5629 ewes averaged $16 
per head. In the 191 8 sales 5326 ewe lambs from registered 
flocks averaged $17.50 each and 2077 yearling ewes averaged 
$40 each. The top price per head for a pen of 10 yearling ewes 



6i2 SHEEP 

was $150, In September, 1918, at the Suffolk Sheep Society's 
Sale at Ipswich, the top price was ^525 for a ram lamb. 

The distribution of Suffolk sheep in recent years has grown 
greatly. They are most common in Suffolk and Norfolk counties 
in England, but the breed has steadily grown in favor in the 
colonies. These sheep have been exported to practically all the 
British colonies, as well as to Denmark, France, Germany, Spain, 
and Jamaica. At the 191 5 sales at Ipswich it is reported that 
buyers were present from all parts of the United Kingdom — 
Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Somerset, Shropshire — and many orders 
were executed for the Midland counties. The breed is securing 
a serious hold in Canada, although in 1908, of nearly 20,000 
pure-bred sheep in that country, but 75 were recorded as Suffolks. 

In the United States breeders of Suffolks are almost unknown. 
In the great sheep shows of the country the breed is practically 
unrepresented. Suffolks of inferior character have been exhibited 
at some Eastern fairs where classes have been provided. From 
the show-ring point of view superior individuals are quite attrac- 
tive and would add materially to the interest attached to our sheep 
exhibitions, notably at state fairs and the International Live-Stock 
Exposition. 

Organizations for promoting Suffolk Down sheep were first 
established in 1886, when the Suffolk Down Sheep Society organ- 
ized, publishing its first flock book in 1887. Up to 1919 this 
society had published flock books to Volume XXXII inclusive. 
In 1892 the American Suffolk Flock Registry Association was 
organized, with headquarters at Des Moines, Iowa, but never 
showed any activity while located there. In recent years the head- 
quarters of the association have been in Ontario, Canada, and the 
few sheep of the breed are registered in the Canadian book. 



CHAPTER LV 

THE TUNIS 

The native home of the Tunis breed, often referred to as Fat- 
Tailed Sheep, is in northern Africa, in Tunis, a French province 
of some 45,000 square miles fronting the Mediterranean Sea. 
Much of the land is hilly, some of it bordering the desert of 
Sahara, the climate is warm, and the main crops produced are wheat 
and barley. This breed is found mainly in the upland region. 

The origin of Tunis sheep is unknown, but the type has no 
doubt existed for centuries in Tunis and the associated section 
of northern Africa sometimes termed Barbary. 

The introduction of Tunis sheep to America is said to date 
back to 1799, when the Bey of Tunis allowed General William 
Eaton, then United States consul at Tunis, at his request, to 
ship from that country to the United States several " broad- 
tailed Barbary or Mountain Tunis sheep," only one pair of 
which survived the voyage. These were placed in the hands of 
Judge Richard Peters, on his farm near Philadelphia, where they 
increased in number, the rams being used on native American 
ewes also. The original ram was later used in Lancaster County, 
Pennsylvania, on the farm of General Hand, It was soon dis- 
covered that they produced superior mutton, and sheep of Tunis 
stock came into demand. In 1807 or 1808 Commodore Barron 
of the United States Navy imported some Tunis sheep to Vir- 
ginia and the District of Columbia. Later President Jefferson had 
a ram and ewe brought over on a government vessel, and in 1825 
some thirteen were landed at New York. A pair of these was sent 
to General Van Rensselaer of Albany. From the early stock, 
descendants of the Peters breeding, it is claimed, flocks were 
established in South Carolina by Colonel Richard Singleton and 
in Georgia by Richard Peters. These sheep increased in number, 
but the Civil War nearly exterminated them. Most of the impor- 
tations were unsuccessful owing to the apparent physical disability 

613 



6i4 



SHEEP 



of the ewes to breed on account of the tail interfering with service. 
A few Tunis sheep from Columbia, South Carolina, were shown in 
1893 at the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago, some of 
which J. A. Guilliams of Indiana purchased, Charles Roundtree 




Fig. 289. General McPherson 619, a noted Tunis sire and prize winner. From 
photograph, by courtesy of the American Sheep Breeder 



of the same state later on visited South Carolina, purchasing ten 
of the flock of twenty-five head there owned. For many years 
Mr. Roundtree was the main promoter of this breed. 

The characteristics of Tunis sheep are not well fixed, even with 
the many years these sheep have been bred in America. The 



THE TUNIS 615 

head is hornless with each sex, and the rams are characterized 
by a Roman nose. The cars are large, broad, pendulous, and 
covered with fine hair. The neck tends to be long, the breast is 
only moderately wide, the zvithcrs are frequently high, the back 
of medium width, and the leg of mutton only fair. The Tunis is 
naturally leggy, but the bone is fine and the quality superior. The 
tail is the most striking feature of the breed, being wide at its 
setting (perhaps measuring five inches at maturity), thick and 
moderately long, though the fleshy part is carried down only six 
or eight inches. The tail is usually cut off when the lamb is very 
young and so does not appear as an important feature in the 
sheep. Left on, it interferes with breeding the ewes. At the end 
of the rump, at the tail head, there is a more marked fullness 
and heaviness than with other docked sheep. The color of the 
head, ears, and legs varies, though a tawny or yellow brown is 
the favorite. Some faces are solid brown, others mottled brown 
and white. The ears are brown, white a:nd brown, or yellow and 
white. In tcnipo-anicjit the Tunis is mild and is easily handled. 

The size of Tunis sheep varies considerably, but rams are ex- 
pected to weigh 150 pounds or more and ewes 120 pounds and 
upward, according to the standard of the Tunis Association. 

The Tunis as a mutton sheep has met with much favor. Early 
writers bear evidence of a high regard for the breed or its crosses 
for mutton in the markets of Philadelphia and vicinity. The 
claim has been made by the few promoters of the breed that 
on grass alone they will make excellent and fat mutton. In 
August, 1900, four grass-fed ewes, four years old, sold by 
Charles Roundtree, had a gross weight in the Union Stock 
Yards of 470 pounds. They averaged about 16 pounds for the 
hind quarter and i /i pounds for the fore quarter and dressed out 
56 per cent, an exceptionally good showing. The writer has exam- 
ined Tunis lambs in October, said to have had no food but grass, 
which were in splendid flesh for killing. On various occasions 
Tunis grade lambs fed by Charles Roundtree have topped the 
Chicago market the day of sale and have received much favor- 
able stockyards comment. On August 11, 1900, two lambs one 
hundred and fifty days old weighed 200 pounds gross and dressed 
57.6 per cent. 



6i6 



SHEEP 



Crossbred or grade Tunis sheep sired by Tunis rams are 
regarded on the market as of choice quality. At the Arizona 
Experiment Station the progeny of Tunis rams on native ewes 
proved superior as feeders and for range conditions to those sired 
by Shropshire, Hampshire, Oxford, or Dorset Horn rams. The 
lambs came early and soon attained large size, and the fleece was 
improved by the cross, being notably superior to that of the dams. 




Fig. 290. Tunis ewe 2568, champion at the 1916 Ohio State Fair. Exhibited by 
R. E. Owen, Fulton, New York. From photograph by the author 

The Tunis for early lambs has special qualifications. The pure- 
bred or crossbred ewe will breed at any season of the year and may 
be mated in spring to drop lambs in the fall for the Christmas 
market. The lambs fatten rapidly and if with dark faces are well 
suited to the Eastern market demand. Doubtless their use for 
early lambs will materially increase. 

The fecundity of the Tunis sheep ranks high. Twins are fre- 
quent, and as the ewes will breed twice a year if desired, the flock 
may be rapidly increased if physical conditions do not interfere. 

The fleece of the Tunis sheep is of special interest. It is of 
excellent quality, being soft, fine, and fairly compact, covering 
the body excepting the head from forehead down, averages about 



THE TUNIS 617 

three inches long, and grades quarter-blood and three-eighths comb- 
ing. One animal may have a clear white fleece, another a prevailing 
reddish tint, while in another reddish fibers may be generally inter- 
spersed among the white. The young lambs when dropped are of 
various colors, — white, red, tawny, and mottled, but this generally 
changes to a uniform color with maturity. As a producer of wool 
the Tunis has a fair degree of merit, although the variation in color 
is objectionable. Tunis breeders claim that they shear from 6 
to 12 pounds, and Professor Shaw credits them with 7A pounds 
wool. In an address before the Philadelphia Society for Promot- 
ing Agriculture, in 1 8 10, Judge Peters gave the average weight of 
the washed fleece at 5 to 5^ pounds, some flocks averaging 6, 
with individuals of pure blood yielding as high as 10 pounds, and 
it is questionable if the breed has changed much in wool produc- 
tion since. 

The distribution of the Tunis sheep is widespread, yet but few 
flocks of importance exist, with Indiana the center for the breed. 
Several good flocks are maintained in Ohio and New York. The 
Arizona Experiment Station has found the breed well suited to 
that section, the sheep flocking well, being good grazers, and ap- 
parently quite resistant to heat and the sheep botfly. Some years 
ago Charles Roundtree sold two rams and six ewes for export to 
New Zealand. The Tunis has also been exported to South Africa 
and Australia. The breed is perhaps especially well suited to warm 
latitudes and for that reason should do much to improve the 
common sheep in the Southern states, especially Florida, Georgia, 
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. 

The American Tunis Sheep Breeders' Association was organized 
in Indiana in 1896 for maintaining a flock book and promoting 
the breed, and up to 19 19 has published three small flock books. 
The first rule of the standard adopted by the association allows 
twenty points for pedigrees extending back unbroken to Judge 
Richard Peters's stock or to direct recent importations from Tunis. 



CHAPTER LVI 

THE LEICESTER 1 

The native home of the Leicester sheep is in the county of that 
name in central England. This is one of the small English shires, 
comprising 8 1 3 square miles. The land is gently rolling, the soil 
fertile to a more or less extent, and wheat, barley, oats, roots, and 
grass do unusually well. It is a noted farming section, where live 
stock is an important feature of agriculture. The climate is moist 
and fairly temperate much of the year. 

The origin of the Leicester as a breed is obscure, further than 
that a long-wooled, large, coarse, narrow-backed, slow-feeding, 
leggy type had been bred in the county of Leicester from time 
immemorial. This was the old Leicester sort. 

The first improvement of the Leicester began with Robert 
Bakewell, who lived at Dishley Hall, near Loughborough, in 
Leicestershire. Bakewell was born in 1726 and began to experi- 
ment with and improve the sheep of his county just prior to 1760. 
He purchased the best specimens of the breed to be obtained in 
the community, practiced rigorous selection, did much in-and-in 
breeding, and finally produced a remarkable improvement, so that 
sheep of his breeding became known as Dishley or Bakewell 
sheep. He converted the Leicester into a broad-backed, thick- 
fleshed, easy-feeding", early-maturing breed, with small bones and 
much less offal than in the old sort. Bakewell had a collection of 
bones and meat in pickle, which represented selections from time 
to time from animals of his own breeding, by which he studied 
the improvement made. Marshall, who lived in Bakewell 's time, 
stated that he kept four points in view: (i) breed, (2) utility of 
form, (3) quality of flesh, and (4) propensity to fatten — the three 
latter depending on the first. Bakewell attained such fame in 
improving these sheep, as well as Longhorn cattle and other 

' The English pronunciation of this word is as though spelled " Lester." 

618 



THE LEICESTER 619 

stock, that he was often termed the father of improved hve-stock 
husbandry. People visited him from various parts of England 
and Europe and paid him large sums for the hire of his rams, 
he being the first person to establish this custom. An item in 
the "Annals of Agriculture" in 1787 reports him letting three 
rams for 1200 guineas ($6000) and that he had been offered 
1000 guineas for twenty ewes and refused it. Bakewell died in 
1795- The Leicester as improved by him retains to-day many 




Fig. 21)1. A l>eicester yearling ram, first-prize in class at the Royal Agricultural 

Society of England Show, 1904. Exhibited by E. F. Jordan. From photograph, 

by courtesy of William Cooper & Nephews, Berkhamsted. England 

of the original characteristics, though it may be somewhat smaller 
and more refined. His method of close breeding eventually re- 
duced the fecundity, vigor, milking capacity of the ewes, and 
weight of wool. Breeders since his day have continued the 
practice of selection and early in the last century practiced much 
in-and-in breeding. Two types of Leicester sheep are now recog- 
nized — one the ordinary English sort, the history of which is 
notably associated with Bakewell and England ; and the Border 
Leicester, an offshoot from Bakewell stock, especially developed 
among the hills where England and Scotland have their boundaries. 



620 SHEEP 

In 19 1 7 W. A. Brown, secretary of the English Leicester Sheep 
Society, gave expression to the following very pronounced opinion ^ : 

Confused ideas prevail about the Leicester in the minds of sheep men in 
several parts of the world, where the breed got a footing probably generations 
ago, and the name, but not the quality, has ever since been retained. In 
Canada, for instance, and in the United States also, there are so-called Leices- 
ters which are entirely a discredit to the name, as we in this country know the 
pure descendants of our own home-bred stock ; and confusion is made worse 
confounded in Canada and also in the United States by the inclusion under 
one head of Leicesters and Border Leicesters. The same anomalous condition 
applies to Australia. 

The introduction of Leicester sheep to America occurred early 
in the history of the United States. Previous to the War of the 
Revolution some of the so-called Dishley or Bakevvell sheep were 
brought (most of them smuggled) into the colonies, especially 
New Jersey and Virginia. As early as 1800 the New Leicester 
was known about Philadelphia, though it was not of pure breeding. 
About 1 799 or 1 800 the first pure-breds brought to America were 
imported to Quebec, Canada, by Reverend Mr. Toofy. Li 1806 
John Hart of Cheshire, Massachusetts, secured a ram, and about 
1805 or 1806 Captain Beanes of New Jersey brought some pure- 
bred rams and ewes from England and disposed of them to a 
retired ship captain, George Farmer, living near New Brunswick, 
New Jersey. These Beanes Leicesters were carefully and success- 
fully bred and attained a wide reputation, Captain Farmer selling 
some rams for as much as $1000 per head. From New Jersey 
and other states came a large demand for sheep from the Farmer 
flock. Miles Smith, a neighbor of P"armer, and Joseph Cooper of 
Flemington, New Jersey, also became prominent breeders. The 
craze for Merino sheep, however, was on in America and by 18 18, 
when ]-^armer died, there were no pure Leicesters on his or Smith's 
farm. During the War of 181 2 Christopher Dunn established 
the first pure-bred flock of this breed in New York, near Albany, 
they being stock destined for Canada, but captured by an Amer- 
ican privateer. There were importations to New York in 1826 by 
J. S. Skinner, in 1831 by D. Stockdale, and in 1835 by John Baker. 
The first Leicesters which found their way to Ohio were brought 

1 Live Stock Journal Ali)ta)tac (London, 1917), p- 145. 



THE LEICESTER 621 

here in 1834 by Isaac Maynard of Coshocton County, who also 
brought other breeds for trial. In 1840 Henry Parsons of Massillon 
had a large flock of breeding ewes. The first sheep of this breed 
were imported into Canada about 1842. 

The characteristics of the English Leicester sheep. The head 
from the ears forward is covered with a soft white hair, the skin 
having a slight bluish tint and small black spots often occurring 
on head and ears. The face is of medium length ; the nose is 




Fig. 292. Leicester ewes on pasture at the Royal Agricultura-1 College, Ciren- 
cester, England. From photograph by the author 

frequently Roman in form, with black skin at muzzle ; and the 
ears are thin, somewhat large, and delicate, standing more or less 
erect. Neither rams nor ewes have horns. The neck tends to be 
short and is not much elevated in carriage. The body is very wide 
of rib but often lacks in depth, the proportion of breadth to depth 
being striking. The breast is usually quite prominent, both in ex- 
tension and thickness, and the hind quarters frequently are not so 
large as they should be, being peaked. The legs tend to be long 
and fine of bone, and the hoofs should be black. The tempera- 
ment is quiet and gentle, such as might be expected with the large 
breeds. T\it fleece is excellent for coarse wool, medium long, and 



622 



SHEEP 



lies over the body in fine spiral locks. Usually no wool extends 
beyond the ears, excepting a very small tuft, and the legs are not 
commonly wooled below knee and hock. One is impressed with 
the fact that the Leicester is somewhat upstanding or appears to 
lack depth of rib, as the case may be. 

The size of the Leicester is large, though this is the smallest of 
the long-wooled breeds. Average-sized mature rams weigh from 
22 5 to 250 pounds and the ewes from 175 to 200 pounds, Shaw 

and Heller state ^ that the 
rams usually weigh from 
225 to 275 pounds and the 
ewes from 175 to 225 
pounds. Volume I of 
the "American Leicester 
Record" credits the rams 
with attaining a weight of 
300 pounds and the ewes 
200 to 2 50 pounds. These, 
however, are outside figures 
rather than fair averages. 
The Leicesters as mut- 
ton producers do not rank 
high. They do not mature 
early, and when mature they 
are too large for common 
market demands and unless killed before twelve months of age 
produce too fat a mutton. Neither is the quality quite equal to the 
best standard. Wrightson states that the Leicester is best fattened 
when from twelve to fifteen months old, when the carcass weighs 
about 80 to 100 pounds. At three of the American Fat-Stock 
Shows held at Chicago the following figures were secured, showing 
the best records made by Leicester fat wethers : 




Fig. 293. A Border Leicester ram owned by 
Alexander Cross, Knockdon, Maybole, Scot- 
land. From photograph by the author 



Days Old 



I.ivK Weight 



Average Daily 
G.MX FROM Birth 

969 300 pounds 37 pound 

600 295 pounds 49 pound 

23s 178 pounds 75 pound 



1 " Domestic Breeds of Sheep," Bulletin g^, U, S. Department of Agriculture, 19 14. 



THE LEICESTER 



623 



At the Smithfield Show (according to Henry, in " Feeds and 
Feeding"), during seventeen years, ending in 191 2, 59 prize- 
winning Leicester wethers at an average age of six hundred and 
seven days showed an average weight of 273 pounds and a daily 
gain of .45 pound, while 54 wether lambs at two hundred and 
forty-seven days showed an average weight of 1 5 7 pounds and a 
gain of .64 pound. In the Iowa Station tests the Leicester did 
not make as good gains as Cotswold or Lincoln, either in daily 
gain or cost of production. The 
quality of the mutton has been 
subject to criticism, and Coffey 
designates it as tending "to be 
coarse, lacking in flavor, and 
too fat." Lambs in good condi- 
tion, however, up to six or eight 
months produce very good cuts 
of meat. 

Crossbred or grade Leicesters 
are regarded with favor by some 
superior sheep feeders. A com- 
pact, easy-feeding Leicester ram 
used on ewes of Merino char- 
acter will sire sheep of more 
scale and easier-fattening qual- 
ity than where Merino rams are 

used. In France a type of Leicesters termed " Dishley Merinos " 
has been developed by using Leicester rams on a Merino-ewe founda- 
tion, these sheep now showing little of Merino character. In New 
Zealand the Leicester ram on Merino ewes played an important 
part in developing the Corriedale, Robert Taylor of Nebraska has 
used Leicester rams on middle-wool ewes on the Western range 
with signal success. In both 1903 and 1904 Mr. Taylor won the 
grand championship at the International Live-Stock Exposition 
on carload show of lambs, these being a cross of Leicester rams 
on grade Hampshire ewes. In fact, it is conceded that crossbred 
Leicester mutton is produced more economically, matures earlier, 
and is of better quality than the pure-bred, although the size is 
somewhat lessened. In this connection it is interesting to note 



.-lAiK 




iM 


1^^ 


K^ 


fflntS^fln^y ' -^Ijl^^i^^ 


KiWHBMtJff '''^^j^JB 


HtjuHSB h.^'^^li 



Fig. 294. A very choice Border Leicester 
ram, bred by J. R. C. Smith of Leaston, 
Scotland. It was sold in 1901 for £122 
($600). From photograph, by courtesy 
of Mr. Smith 



624 SHEEP 

that the Leicester as improved by Bakevvell has served a most 
important part in improving some of the British breeds in the days 
of early development, its blood being freely used on the Southdown, 
Cotswold, Lincoln, Shropshire, and Hampshire foundations. 

The Leicester as a grazing or range sheep ranks as only fair. 
Leicesters will not flock equal to the Merinos. They require better 
range and more abundant pasture than the lighter breeds, are not 
suited to rough ground, and in winter lack the constitution to 
withstand roughing it without shelter. The open fleece is objec- 
tionable where much snow or cold rain prevails. In the so-called 
corn belt, where properly protected, with abundance of roughage, 
grain, and roots, this breed may do very well. 

The breeding qualities of the Leicester are only moderate. 
None of the largest breeds are strongly prolific, and no doubt the 
early policy of very close in-and-in breeding followed by Leicester 
breeders injured the fecundity of the breed. Careful manage- 
ment will no doubt secure fair results and raising lOO per cent 
lambs might be a reasonable estimate under average conditions. 
George Benedict reports 1 36 per cent increase in his Leicester flock. 

The Leicester as a wool producer yields a fine grade of braid 
or quarter-blood combing wool. Randall states that after the 
first shearing it will average about 6 inches long and will weigh 
6 pounds. Professor Shaw thinks that the fleece should average 
from 9 to 1 1 pounds weight, while the 1894 edition of the " Com- 
plete Grazier," by Youatt, places it at an average of 7 pounds. 
George Benedict of Nebraska, a breeder of pure Leicesters, in 1893 
wrote, "' The average weight of fleeces for ten years is 1 1 pounds." 
The fleece of the Leicester being naturally fine and open weighs 
comparatively light, but a clip of about 10 pounds should be ex- 
pected in an average flock. If grade Leicester ewes are bred to 
middle- or fine-wool rams, the fleece of the offspring is commonly 
finer, more compact, and shears heavier than that of the pure-bred. 

The Border Leicester sheep belong to the Leicester family, but 
differ from it in type. The origin of the Border Leicester has 
been credited to the Culley brothers, who first used Leicester 
rams (obtained from Bakewell) on Teeswater ewes. Some authors 
have regarded the Border Leicester as originating from a cross of 
Leicester rams on Cheviot ewes, the result of the cross finally 



THE LEICESTER 



625 



assuming a pure form of a variety of the Leicester. In 1767 the 
Culleys moved into northern Northumberland to Fenton, near 
Wooler, among the Cheviot Hills on the English side of the 
border between England and Scotland. In this region they 
developed the Border Leicester, which became very popular. In 
1806 they retired and their flock was dispersed, being purchased 
by various breeders. There are to-day in the border region flocks 




Fig. 295. Judging Border Leicesters in 1914 at the Highland and Agricultural 
Society Show at Hawick, Scotland. From photograph by the author 



directly descended from Culley rams. The Mertoun flock of Lord 
Polwarth, said to have been established in 1 802, had a continuous 
existence for over a centur)', and a world-wide reputation. 

The characteristics of the Border Leicester sheep in compari- 
son with the Bakewell Leicester are interestingly shown by 
Professor Wrightson as follows : 

The differences between the Leicester and Border Leicester are to be chiefly 
seen in the head, which in the Border Leicester is white and boldly carried, 
the nose slightly aquiline, the muzzle full, the nostrils wide, and the ears erect. 
The head is clean and free from wool, as is pretty well shown by the fact that 
they suffer from flies settling on their polls in summer. The English Leicester, 
unless trimmed and shaved for show, usually carries a tuft of wool on his head, 
which protects it from flies, and he is also wooled in the shanks. The English 



626 SHEEP 

Leicester has a bluish-white face, whereas the Border Leicester's face is clear 
white. In carcass the Border Leicester is the larger and longer, and the belly 
is not quite so full in outline, being carried rather more lightly. 

It may also be added that the flesh at the nose is black, that spots 
frequently occur in the white hair on head and ear, and that this 
is a heavier, more leggy type than the Bakewell Leicester. 

Border Leicester rams crossed on Cheviot ewes make a cross 
which has long met with much favor in the British market. In 
the hill country the half-breds and three-quarter-breds feed ex- 
tremely well on rather scant fare and produce a strictly choice 




Fig. 29C. A group of Border Leicester yearling rams owned by J. R. C. Smith, 
Scotland. From photograph, by courtesy of the owner 

mutton. Each year in the hill country between Scotland and 
England large numbers of crossbred sheep of this stock find their 
way into the best British trade. 

The prices paid for Leicester sheep have reached very respectable 
heights. In 19 14 a Border Leicester ram sold in Scotland for 
about $1500. At the Kelso (Scotland) ram sales in September, 
1 9 16, a yearling Border Leicester ram brought $1150, and 1 2 head 
brought an average of $360. In 19 16, at the Little Dreflfield Fair 
in England, 144 yearling Leicester rams brought prices ranging 
from $52 to $136 per head. In 1917 J. D. Hay sold at Ayr, 
Scotland, 166 Border Leicesters for an average of $110 per head, 
and the three-year-old ram King David brought $850. Finally, 
in 19 19, a Border Leicester ram sold at the Kelso auction for 
about $3000 (^600), and a yearling bred by D. P. Elliott sold to 
John Stewart for about $1400 (^280). 



THE LEICESTER 627 

The distribution of the Leicester is world-wide. Since the days 
of Bakewell it has been more or less distributed over Europe, 
Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, and North America. It is 
not a common breed to-day, however, in any part of the world, 
even in England, its native home. Referring to present-day flocks 
in England W, A. Brown states ^ that the flocks of the members 
of the English society " are scattered over six counties as widely 
separated as Leicester and Cumberland, but the major portion of 
Leicesters are located in Yorkshire." The lambing season in 1916 
in England was not a good one, but it was estimated there would 
be about 10,000 living lambs of the breed. There are numerous 
flocks in Canada, and in 1908, of the nearly 20,000 pure-bred sheep 
in that country, 6000 were listed as Leicesters. In the United 
States there are but few of these sheep, the breed being mainly 
represented in Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and Oregon. 

Organizations in behalf of Leicester sheep date back consider- 
ably over a century. In the time of Bakewell the Dishley Society 
was organized to support this great breeder in establishing a new 
breed. This society had various meetings and adopted different 
resolutions. No. 4, passed in 1790, provided that "secrecy be 
kept by all members respecting the business of these meetings, 
except to absent members." Resolution No. 13 provided that " no 
member shall let a ram, share or part of a ram, to any ram breeder 
residing within thirty miles of Leicester, not being a member, who 
hired a ram of Mr. Bakewell last season, 1789." This society 
existed many years and was very influential. At the present time 
there is a Leicester Sheep Breeders' Society in England, which 
up to 19 1 8 had published twenty-six volumes of flock books. 
In this country we have the American Leicester Breeders' Asso- 
ciation, established in 1888, which has issued ten volumes of 
flock books up to 19 18. 

The Society of Border Leicester Sheep Breeders has an organ- 
ization in Britain, with headquarters in Edinburgh, Scotland. 
This society up to 19 18 had published twenty volumes of flock 
books. In America the Border type is registered in the American 
Leicester flock book, no distinction being drawn in the registra- 
tion of the two types. 

"^ Live Stock Journal Almanac (London), 19 17. 



CHAPTER LVII 

THE COTSWOLl) 

The name " Cotswold " is derived from a combination of cir- 
cumstances. In early times sheep were folded in shelters locally 
known as " cots " or '" cotes " and were pastured on the wild, tree- 
less hills of the region, which were termed "wolds," from which 
the name "Cotswold" was evolved. 

The native home of the Cotswold sheep is in central south- 
western England in the county of Gloucester,^ which has an area 
of 1237 square miles. The river Severn flows southwesterly across 
the county and into Bristol Channel. The large city of Gloucester 
is the county seat. The Cotswold hills, which comprise about 
280,000 acres, extend southwesterly nearly through and to the 
southern borders of the county. These low hills are of variable 
soils often poor in quality, gravelly or clayey in character, with 
much lime, grow a short pasturage, and yield moderate crops of 
wheat and roots. The climate is moist and temperate, well suited 
to large sheep. This is also noted as a dairy section, and many 
cattle are kept here. 

The history of the Cotswold shows it to be a very ancient 
breed. In 1464 King Edward IV of England, says Stow in his 
"Chronicles," granted permission "for certain Coteswold sheep 
to be transported into the country of Spaine, which have there 
since mightily increased and multiplied to the Spanish profit." 
Marshall, a noted early writer on the agriculture of Gloucester, 
in 1796 wrote 2; "The Cotswolds have long been celebrated for 
their sheep, which still remain the grand object of the Cotswold 
husbandry." "The present breed," he writes, "is a polled, long- 
wooled, middle-sized sheep, a breed which has been prevalent on 
the hills, time immemorial ; it has been improved, but has not 
been changed. Hence, it is probable, the popular idea of the 

1 Pronounced as though spelled " Gloster." 

2 W. Marshall, The Rural Economy of Gloucestershire. London, 1796. 2 vols. 

628 



THE COTSWOLD 629 

Spaniards having originally procured their breed of fine-wooled 
sheep from the Cotswold hills has no foundation." Marshall also 
states that the breed is light in front, but fuller behind, and that 
as Leicester rams are getting '" a firm footing," they will fill up 
the fore quarter. 

In 1842 Low wrote that Cotswold sheep inhabited the district 
beyond the memory of the living generation. However, he be- 
lieved that this breed was developed from a large type common 
in Warwick and Oxford counties adjoining, which it in some 
respects resembled. It is improbable that the Cotswold has a 
long ancestry on the hills of Gloucester, for a big breed of this 
type would not naturally thrive on hills comparatively poor in 
production. Yet the region in which this sheep developed became 
a noted wool-producing section, dating back to days of Roman 
conquest in the second century. Gervase Markham, writing in 
the sixteenth century, referred to Cotswold sheep as having long 
wool and large bones. It is generally conceded that the breed of 
to-day is much improved over the old type, this improvement 
having been largely secured by using Leicester rams on Cotswold 
ewes. So indiscriminately were they used between 1780 and 1820 
that we are told not a Cotswold flock was spared. The Leicester 
blood reduced the size and constitution but improved the symme- 
try, producing better bodies, finer wool, more quality, and earlier- 
maturing sheep. During the last century the families of Smith 
of Bibury, Hewer of North Leach, Lane, and Game by judicious 
selection and some in-and-in breeding materially improved the 
breed. On the dispersion of the Hewer flock various breeders 
purchased and established flocks which are numbered among the 
important ones of to-day in England. 

The introduction of Cotswold sheep to the United States prob- 
ably first occurred in 1832, when Christopher Dunn, who lived 
near Albany, New York, imported a ram. In 1834 Isaac Maynard 
of Coshocton County, Ohio, brought the first Cotswolds to that 
state, but within three years most of these had died. 

In 1836 J. C. Haviland of Dutchess County, New York, began 
breeding Cotswolds, and continued his flock many years. In 1837 
they were first brought to Kentucky, where they were very popular 
and seemed well suited to the conditions. In 1840 W. H. Sotham 



630 



SHEEP 



imported a flock of 19 to New York, near Albany, for which he 
paid $110 each. This same year Erastus Corning and Mr, Sotham 
made two large importations of a crossbred Cotswold-New Leicester 
sheep from the Hewer flock at North Leach, Gloucestershire. 
Along in the early forties there were a number of Cotswold flocks 
in the Atlantic coast states, where they met with favor if on the 




Fig. 297. A L.ut,-,^,.MJ ram, champion ai uin_ i.,iw uli,,, oute Fair. Unless pro- 
tected by a covering, the curly foretop of the Cotswold is worn off, as in this case. 
From photograph by the author 



more fertile lands. With the depreciation of Merino values about 
1 870-1875, Cotswold and other mutton sheep grew in favor, 
and considerable flocks were imported and developed in the 
Mississippi Valley. 

Characteristics of the Cotswold. The Jicad of the Cotswold is 
a distinguishing feature, being hornless, somewhat long, usually 
white but frequently slightly mixed or spotted with gray or brown, 
is dark at the nostrils, broad between muzzle and eyes, having a 



THE COTSWOLD 631 

tendency to a Roman nose, and with curls or locks over the fore- 
head, often falling to the nostrils. This forelock is a distinctive 
feature of this breed and is not usually cut off at shearing time. 
The ears are thick, soft, and of medium size for a large sheep. 
The back carries the same great breadth as the Leicester and 
Lincoln, though the body frequently lacks depth and appears leggy, 
especially behind. The Jieart girth is often striking, showing much 
thickness. Fream states that at a show some years ago in England 
two of the winning two-year-old rams girthed five feet and five feet 
four inches respectively. The breed ranks well in quality, the bone 
being strong but not coarse, though heavier than the Leicester, 
and the skin is naturally a bright cherry pink. In general appear- 
ance Cotswolds are regarded as especially toplofty and impressive. 
Professor Wrightson states ^ : 

The Cotswold was often described by the late Professor Coleman, when 
teaching at the Royal Agricultural College (which is in the Cotswold district 
of England), as a sheep which could "look over a hurdle," that is, carried his 
head high and well poised on a somewhat erect neck. This is said to be ac- 
companied with a tendency to be "ewe necked" and low in the rumps, or 
" down at both ends," as I have heard Professor Coleman repeatedly say. He 
knew the Cotswold sheep well, and was himself a Cotswold man, so his opinion 
carries weight. These faults have been corrected in the best flocks there can 
be no doubt, but they exist in second-rate animals, as is most evident in rough 
weather, when the animals are viewed at a disadvantage. 

The size of the Cotswold is large, ranking very close to the 
Lincoln and often equaling it. A mature ram in breeding condi- 
tion should weigh from 250 to 275 pounds and the ewe from 200 
to 225. Shaw and Heller give 350 pounds for the ram and 200 to 
250 for the ewe, while Coffey places the weight of the ram at 275 
to 300 and the ewe at 180 to 225. The fact is a 300-pound sheep 
is comparatively large, and this and heavier weights are with rare 
exceptions associated with high condition. 

The Cotswold as a mutton sheep is rather ordinary. Lambs up 
to eight or ten months of age produce a very good grade of meat, 
but in the yearling wether or mature sheep the fiber lacks in quality, 
being long and coarse, and the per cent of external fat on the 
well-fed animals is too great. The present-day demand is for a 

1 Sheep: Breeds and Management, p. 31. London, 1895. 



632 



SHEEP 



small class of mutton, consequently a sheep of the Cotswold type 
does not furnish a popular carcass where small cuts are wanted. 

The Cotswold as a feeder makes an excellent showing. In 
various reports on feeding experiments where Cotswolds were 
used heavy gains have been recorded. In 1852 Sir John B. Lawes 
reported on important sheep-feeding experiments at Rothamsted, in 
which he showed that between December i and April 1 7, 46 Cots- 
wold lambs made a weekly increase per head of 3 pounds 2 1 ounces. 
Twenty of these lambs, fasted weight, dressed out 61.48 per cent 




Fig. 298. A Cotswold ewe, champion at the 191 6 Ohio State Fair. From photo- 
graph by the author 

carcass. In extended experiments by Dr. Lawes the best results 
were secured with the Cotswold, which showed a more economical 
production tiian the Leicester, Hampshire, Sussex, or crossbreds. 
At the Iowa Experiment Station, in two breed trials with fattening 
lambs, the Cotswold made the heaviest gain, averaging .62 and 
.50 pound daily respectively, consuming less dry matter for a pound 
of gain than any other breed in each trial. In per cent of dressed 
carcass the Cotswold lambs showed an average of 54.9 and 53.57 
respectively — just an average record. From figures compiled by 
Henry and Morrison ^ of records of prize-winning wethers shown 
between 1895 and 19 12 at the Smithfield Club Show at London, 
1 Feeds and Feeding (1915). p. 518. 



THE COTSWOLD 633 

15 Cotswold yearling wethers, averaging six hundred and twenty- 
four days old, weighing 292 pounds, made an average daily gain 
of .46 pound ; while 25 wether lambs two hundred and seventy-six 
days old, weighing 188 pounds, made an average daily gain of .68 
pound. Henry and Morrison also give records showing average 
daily gain, from birth, of fat wethers at the American Fat-Stock 
Show at Chicago from 1879 to 1882 inclusive, in which yearlings 
averaged .41 pound daily and lambs .89 pound. 

The Cotswold crossbred or grade is often a very excellent mut- 
ton sheep, and on the Western range, notably in Montana and 
Idaho, many Cotswold rams have been used on grade Merino ewes 
to distinct advantage from both mutton and wool point of view. 
Professor Hawkesworth states ^ that for crossing with the Merino 
the Cotswold has advantages and disadvantages. The advantages 
are that the progeny are exceptionally well suited for the frozen- 
mutton trade, as the two types appear to nick or blend well to- 
gether, producing a well-balanced carcass covered with a most 
valuable crossbred wool of exceptional quality. He further says 
that for early maturity few crossbreds equal this one. The serious 
disadvantage in this case is that Merino ewes frequently die after 
dropping the lambs. The tendency is for the lamb to inherit the 
large head of the Cotswold, which results in the ewe's giving birth to 
the lamb with difficulty. At one time Cotswolds were used exten- 
sively in crossbreeding in the Midland counties in England, but not 
so much in recent years. An anonymous English writer makes the 
following comment,^ which is interesting from a British viewpoint : 

These sheep are great feeders and become very fat, and are in consequence 
not a butcher's sheep ; but when crossed with other sheep that suitably nick 
with them, the produce is remarkably good mutton. This year rams have aver- 
aged I 2 guineas and upwards. They are much sought after by Norfolk farmers, 
who cross them with a Suffolk ewe, the result being a capital butcher's sheep. 
The breed is also noted as having produced a magnificent sheep when mated 
with a Hampshire Down. 

The Cotswold as a grazing sheep ranks high where pastures are 
abundant, but on hilly or rough land it is not a satisfactory breed. 
It does best on the fertile plains of America, where plenty of 

1 Alfred Hawkesworth, Australian Sheep and Wool. Sydney, 1906. 
^ Lk'e Stock Joiiiiial Almanac (London), 1917. 



634 



SHEEP 



grass, roots, and grain may be grown. From its quiet tempera- 
ment and heavy weight, Hke other long-wool breeds, it may be 
fed to great advantage on rape or turnips for a limited time, on 
restricted areas within hurdles. 

The breeding qualities of the Cots wold are fairly good. Some 
authorities rank the breed as superior in this respect. None of 
the large breeds, however, are strongly fecund, though they are 
excellent nurses and produce large lambs. British writers credit 



lii**^ 




Fig. 299. A Cotswold ewe, champion at the 191 8 Ohio State Fair. Owned by 
P. W. Hintz, Clyde, Ohio. From photograph by the author 



the Cotswold with about 100 per cent living lambs, twins being 
the exception rather than the rule. 

The Cotswold as a wool producer holds high rank. The fleece 
is of a lustrous character with a tendency toward coarseness, and 
with twelve months' growth may attain a length of 12 to 14 inches, 
though 8 is more commonly the case. The fleece is in somewhat 
large, open ringlets, rather than the finer curl of the Leicester, 
and is graded on the market as braid or low-quarter blood-combing 
wool. Hawkesworth states that ""among manufacturers no other 
strong wool is held in such high estimation. It is one of the very 
brightest of the demi-lusters, but is not considered a pure luster 
like the Lincoln or Leicester. It is about the curliest of the British 
wools." Its great value lies in its exceptional silkiness, softness, 



THE COTSWOLD 635 

and pliability, which qualify it to be spun to its extreme length. 
Many flocks yield an average weight of fleece of over 10 pounds 
unwashed, George S. Baber of Kentucky for years kept about forty 
breeding ewes which averaged 10 pounds of wool, and C. L, Day 
of Wisconsin had a large flock where the fleeces averaged about 
1 1 pounds, Wrightson says that in "' crack " flocks the fleeces may 
average 9^ pounds, and many fleeces have been shorn weighing 
close to 14 pounds, but the latter weight is exceptional. 

The distribution of the Cotswold has been rather widespread in 
the past. It has seemed especially adapted to Gloucestershire and 
adjoining English counties, and while flocks are found elsewhere 
the breed is not common. It has been exported to France, Ger- 
many, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United 
States, In 1908 about 2000 pure-bred Cotswolds were recorded 
in Canada. In the United States the breed has had a wide dis- 
tribution. Late in the nineteenth century the Cotswold was a 
prominent bre*ed in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky, but to-day these 
states have but comparatively few. The leading demand has been 
from the Far West, and superior flocks are owned in Oregon, 
Washington, and Utah, The climatic conditions of the Willamette 
valley in Oregon seem especially suited to the Cotswold, where it 
is most successfully bred. 

Prices paid for Cotswolds hold very good, and some high values 
have been reached in recent years. At the ram sale at Salt Lake 
City in 191 7 Mr, Frank Harding of Wisconsin sold to J. R. Allen 
of Utah I ram for ^1000, another for ^750, and 21 rams 
consigned by Mr. Harding averaged $215 each, while 149 stud 
and range rams averaged ^81,60 each. Five rams consigned by 
J. H. Patrick of Canada averaged $182 each. At the 191 8 Salt 
Lake sale 2 rams brought $400 each, and 62 head brought from 
$100 to $300 each. One lot of 173 rams consigned by A. J. KnoUin 
of Idaho averaged $25 per head. 

The promotion of Cotswold sheep is conducted in England by 
the Cotswold Sheep Society, organized in 1892, and in America 
by the American Cotswold Sheep Association, organized in 1878. 
The English society up to 19 16 had published sixteen flock books 
and registered a large number of sheep. The American associa- 
tion has published nineteen volumes up to 19 19, 



CHAPTER LVIII 

THE LINCOLN 

The native home of Lincoln sheep is in the county of Lincoln 
on the east coast of England by the North Sea. Lincolnshire is 
next to the largest county in England, embracing an area of 
2638 square miles. The city of Lincoln, with a population of about 
50,000, is the county seat. The land is slightly hilly in places, 
but much of eastern Lincolnshire lies flat and low, even below 
sea level, the water being kept back by embankments as in 
Holland. The soil is naturally fertile, and the lowlands provide 
rich pastures. The small cereals, roots, and grasses are staple 
crops. This county is noted for its Lincolnshire Red Shorthorns 
and Lincoln sheep. The climate is moist and fairly temperate, 
though in winter the winds from the North Sea make the weather 
conditions somewhat rough. 

The origin of the Lincoln dates back very many years. There 
had long existed in Lincolnshire a large, coarse type of sheep, 
much like the old Leicester, with white face and legs, heavy head, 
large neck, and prominent dewlap, long and hollow of back, with 
flat ribs but good loin and deep belly. The skin was especially 
thick, the fleece long and coarse, the size very large, and the flesh 
coarse and inferior. This old-fashioned type was improved by 
the use of Leicester rams of the new sort, such as Bakewell had 
produced. According to Youatt ^ the Lincolnshire ewe was bred 
to the Leicester ram, and the progeny showed much of the 
excellence of the sire. What became known as the improved 
Lincoln matured fully a year earlier, weighed more for its age 
than the old Lincoln, and established a superior reputation, being 
much in demand. This work of improvement occurred late in 
the eighteenth century. Much jealousy existed between Leicester 
and Lincoln breeders in those early days. The story is told that 
Bakewell, the great improver of the Leicester, in 1788 challenged 

1 Sheep: their Breeds, Management, and Diseases. London, 1837. 

636 



THE LINCOLN 



637 



Mr. Charles Chaplin, a Lincoln breeder, who referred in uncom- 
plimentary terms to his Leicesters, to a public contest : 

If you are still desirous of a public exhibition, please to say if you 
would choose to send on the fifth of July next, to Lincoln or Leicester 
(as there is a fair at both places on that day), two rams of the " true 
Lincolnshire long staple," to each place, to be shown against the same 
number of the Dishley sort (Leicester), weighed alive, killed, and an exact 
amount given of the carcasses and offals, for the information of the public. 




Fig. 300. Dowsby 350 Guineas, champion Lincoln ram at the 1897 show of the 

Royal Agricultural Society of England. Bred by Henry Dudding ; owned and 

exhibited by S. E. Dean & Sons, Dowsby Hall, Folkingham, England. From 

photograph by the author 

Mr. Chaplin refused to make the exhibition. During the past 
century the Lincoln has undergone a steady improvement among 
the breeders of Lincolnshire. In 1858 Robert Smith wrote ^ that 
the leading ram breeders of the day were the Messrs. Clarkes, 
Kirkham, Casswell, Richardson, Chaplin, Gilliott, Torr, Abraham, 
Lynn, and others. The Dudding family of Riby Grove, Great 
Grimsby, Lincolnshire, was especially famous and bred these sheep 
for about one hundred and seventy-five years, the last member 
of the family — Henry Dudding, the greatest of modern Lincoln 
breeders — dispersing his flock in 191 3. 

The introduction of Lincoln sheep to America dates back over a 
century. Prior to 1796 it is stated that some of the old Lincolns 

'^Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, Vol. XIX, p. 383. 



638 SHEEP 

were taken to Massachusetts, but, not thriving on the hills, were 
generally abandoned. In 1825, however, A. A. Lawrence of the 
same state "imported 6 Southdowns and 10 Lincolnshires." In 
1829 Mr. Pickering, also of Massachusetts, imported 2 rams 
and 2 ewes. It is reported that during the ocean voyage a fleece 
of 19 pounds was removed from one of the rams. In 1834 
Isaac Maynard brought the first Lincolns to Ohio from the East. 
At Buffalo it is said he was offered $500 for his Lincoln ram. In 
1836 Leonard D. Clift of Carmel, New York, imported some 
Lincolns. One pair was sold to go to Virginia and another to 
Ohio for $250 each. Later importations were made by Mr. Clift. 
The Lincoln has since then been brought occasionally to the 
United States, though in but a small way. 

Characteristics of Lincoln sheep. The color of the Lincoln is 
white, although the face frequently has a grayish or mottled color 
along the bridge of the nose. The Jicad is large and hornless, 
often broad between muzzle and eyes, tending to Roman character ; 
the cars are large and broad and are dotted or mottled in color. 
The Lincoln has a very broad, level back, is covered with a firmer 
flesh than the Leicester, and shows a greater comparative depth 
of rib than that breed, not appearing so leggy. The rjiinp is 
broad and level, and the hind quarter of a thick, meaty character, 
as a rule, and when heavily fed this is often patchy. The legs are 
in suitable proportion to the rest of the body, but appear rather 
large and coarse. The sheep in general appearance impresses one 
as massive. The wool covering is in rather coarse spirals or curly 
locks which naturally part along the back and hang down to con- 
siderable length on the sides. A short foretop, or group of locks, 
occurs in good specimens of the breed, more than with Leicesters 
and less than with Cotswolds. 

The size of the Lincoln represents the largest of the British 
breeds of sheep, though Wallace states that it does not exceed 
the Cotswold. The author has seen a Wensleydale ram that was 
comparable with the larger Lincoln. The average Lincoln, how- 
ever, probably weighs heavier than does the average of any other 
breed. Rams of this breed sometimes attain a weight of nearly 
400 pounds, and when in good flesh will easily weigh 300, while 
the ewes average close to 275 pounds when mature. The standard 



THE LINCOLN 639 

of excellence of the National Lincoln Sheep Association specifies 
that matured rams should weigh not less than 250 pounds when 
in good condition, and ewes in similar age and condition not less 
than 200 pounds. Shaw and Heller give 250 to 375 pounds for 
the ram and 225 to 275 pounds for the ewe, while Coffey gives 
300 and 250 pounds respectively for ram and ewe in breeding 
condition. Professor Wrightson, in comparing with the Leicester, 




Fig. 301. Gibson's 155-10858, grand-champion Lincoln ram at the Louisiana 

Purchase Exposition, 1904. Owned and exhibited by J. T. Gibson, Denfield, 

Ontario. From photograph by the author 

says that " in size the Lincoln is greatly superior, and he may be 
credited with being the heaviest sheep of the British Isles, having 
been known to attain a weight of 90 pounds per quarter." 

The quality of Lincoln mutton does not rank high. The size 
is too large, too much fat is produced, and the flesh tends to 
coarseness of fiber. All things considered, the Lincoln cannot be 
regarded as the equal of any of the Down breeds in the quality 
of its mutton. When killed during the lamb season, especially 
from eight to ten months of age, a more acceptable class of meat 
is produced. Wrightson, however, regards the Lincoln as produc- 
ing a firmer flesh than the Leicester. The carcass dresses out 



640 SHEEP 

very well, but the per cent of fat and bone is too great to suit the 
modern trade. There is too much waste for the average housewife. 

The Lincoln as a feeder makes a creditable showing. In feeding 
experiments at the Iowa Experiment Station, Lincoln wether 
lambs in one trial made an average daily gain of .55 pound and 
in another trial of .46 pound. The price paid for the carcass 
was $4.50 and ^5.25 per hundred compared with $4.75 and $5.75 
respectively, the highest price paid. The Lincolns dressed out 
55.7 and 51.08 per cent in the carcass, which was about an aver- 
age of the breeds tested. Comparatively few feeding experiments 
with Lincolns are recorded. In the report on the prize-winning 
wethers at the Smithfield Club Show, compiled by Henry and 
Morrison, covering the years 1895 to 19 12 inclusive, 48 Lincoln 
wether lambs, averaging two hundred and ninety days old, weigh- 
ing 209 pounds each, made an average daily gain of .72 pound ; 
while 55 yearling wethers, averaging six hundred and thirty- 
nine days old, weighing 334 pounds, made an average daily gain 
of .52 pound. This record of daily gain for both ages surpassed 
each of the other thirteen breeds reported on. These figures 
clearly indicate the capacity of the Lincoln as a feeder and also 
show to what size the wether may be fed. To do as well as these 
reports indicate he must be fed in a generous manner the best 
of food, with concentrates and succulents suitably represented. 
Hawkesworth comments on this point and says if feed is scarce 
the Lincoln loses weight rapidly, and when in low condition is an 
expensive animal to put in good condition. 

The crossbred or grade Lincoln is to-day an important factor 
in the British mutton market. A large number of Lincoln rams 
are used on the common ewes of Argentina or on the grade Merino 
ewes of Australia. A visit to the yards at Birkenhead, England, 
about 1900, where shiploads of live sheep were received from 
Argentina, showed the prevalence of Lincoln blood. These crosses 
or grades made a big, growthy lamb which fattened easily and 
furnished a large chop or leg of mutton more acceptable in the 
English than in the American market. Hawkesworth says that 
the Lincoln and Merino make a really good serviceable cross and 
a suitable mutton for export, and many who have kept to that style 
of breeding have found good results in both carcass and wool. 



THE LINCOLN 



641 



Much of the Lincoln coarseness is lost in the cross, the off- 
spring producing fairly fine-grained and succulent meat. The fat 
is more evenly distributed than in the pure-bred and not so massed 
in a few places ; the flesh is of a nice flavor ; while the wool 
is one of the most serviceable crossbreds going into the market. 
Mr. Herbert Gibson gives an interesting statement ^ regarding 
extensive crossbreeding in Argentina in which both mutton and 




'Fig. 302. A Lincoln ewe, first prize in class at the Ohio State Fair, 1905. Owned 
and exhibited by J. R. Bickett, Xenia, Ohio. From photograph by the author 

wool were considered. In 1863 five thousand Pampas ewes were 
selected and bred to Lincoln rams. These ewes were descended 
from long-wooled Spanish sheep taken to South America during 
the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. They had white faces, 
thin long legs, and long, lusterless coarse wool. " The experiment 
was in every respect a successful one. The cross-Pampas soon 
grew to the large body and luster wool of the Lincoln. The 
ewes were prolific and excellent mothers, and the race hardy to 
a degree ; they were kindly fatteners and easily shepherded." 

1 The History and Present State of the Sheep-Breeding Industry in the 
Argentine Republic, 1893. 



642 



SHEEP 



This cross and their grades were continued with substantial satis- 
faction, many thousand ewes being bred. Lincoln rams have been 
used to some extent on Merino grade ewes on our Western 
ranges, yet not in a large way. 

The Lincoln as a grazing sheep is best adapted to moderately 
dry upland meadows, where food is abundant. In the hill coun- 
try the breed has never made a success and has not secured 
a foothold. Some English writers have called attention to the 




Fig. 303. A Lincoln ram from New Zealand exhibited in 19 15 at the Panama- 
Pacific Exposition. Such a curly foretop is unusual with this breed. From 
photograph, by courtesy of the American Sheep Breeder 



eminent fitness of the Lincoln to the meadows of Lincolnshire, 
but further note the fact that they soon deteriorate in most other 
parts of England. \\\ Argentina, where great pastures of superior 
quality exist, Lincolns have long met with much favor. 

The breeding quality of the Lincoln is not of the first rank. 
The ewes are good mothers but produce only a fair amount of 
milk and are not of more than average fecundity. 

The Lincoln as a wool producer is of special interest. No breed 
probably furnishes so long a fleece. Wrightson reports samples 
of Lincoln wool in his possession 21 inches long. The standard 



THE LINCOLN 643 

of the National Lincoln Sheep Breeders' Association requires a 
growth of at least 8 inches of fleece during one year. The weight 
of the fleece, which is naturally coarse and grades as a braid or 
low quarter-blood, may in the case of a ram reach 30 pounds. The 
average weight of fleeces on Lincoln wether lambs in the Iowa 
feeding experiments was 12.9 and 10.4 pounds respectively, the 
heaviest of the ten breeds under trial. A mature ewe should pro- 
duce close to 1 5 pounds and a ram 1 8 to 20 pounds. In fineness 
of quality this ranks slightly better than the Leicester. Compared 
with the Leicester fleece it is longer, is in larger spirals or curls, 
and covers the belly better. Wrightson states that the wool is very 
bright and lustrous when shorn, giving the name " luster wool." 
This feature, however, disappears when the sheep are bred away 
from their native county. The massing of the wool in flakes or 
strands upon the animal is characteristic of the breed, but the fiber 
is hairlike and "' lashy " if separated and compared with the fiber 
of Merino wool. 

Professor Hawkesworth ^ writes : 

Lincoln wool is made into fabrics of various descriptions and designs, all of 
a heavy, smooth nature, many of which are dyed into most delicate shades, for 
which only the best of lusters are suitable on account of their great reflective 
power, a quality possessed by the Lincoln beyond any other breed except the 
Leicester, the wool of which is very similar in this respect. Such goods as 
damasks, reps, russell-cords, braids, lastings, linings, camlets, furniture cloths, 
serges, boot laces, buntings, and even dolls' hair, are made of Lincoln wool. 

The prices paid for Lincolns have run into sensational figures. 
Since the South Americans and Australians began to purchase 
rams for home trade high prices have ruled. The ram sales of 
Lincolnshire have attracted world-wide attention, especially those 
of Henry Dudding of Riby Grove, Great Grimsby. During four- 
teen years Mr. Dudding had sold, writes G. T, Burrows,^ 654 rams 
for $202,508, giving an average of about $306. The individual 
prices have ranged from $7414 to $17. Four hundred and forty- 
two ewes in the fourteen years have averaged $40 per head. 
The 1906 sale at Riby Grove was a notable one. One ram sold 
for ;^ 1 522 io.f. ($7414). In all 56 yearling rams realized over 

^ Australian Sheep and Wool. Sydney, 1906. 
^ Breeders' Gazette, September 18, 1912. 



644 



SHEEP 



$42,000, or brought an average of over $750. In 1909 one 
ram brought about $3000. Owing to the death of Mr. Dudding 
the Riby Grove flock was dispersed in 191 3, on which occasion the 
ram Riby Bristol Champion brought $3000 and 139 yearhng rams 
averaged about $233 each. In 19 18, at the Lincoln ram sales, 
A. W. Dean of Dowsby Hall, Bourne, purchased 1 1 stud rams at 
an average price of ;^8oo each for service in his own flock. How- 
ever, he later sold these to go to Buenos Aires for the record 
price of ^1650 each, one of these rams bringing $6250. The 

highest prices paid in the 
United States for Lincolns, 
up to 19 1 8, occurred in 
1 9 1 7 at the Salt Lake City 
sale, when an imported ram 
soldfor$65otoA.D.Blod- 
gett of Colorado. One ram 
was also sold for $550 to 
the Butterfield Live Stock 
Company of Idaho, and an- 
other for $550 to Austin 
Brothers of L^tah. Twenty- 
one rams consigned by 
Anoka Farms of Wiscon- 
sin averaged $195.71. 

The distribution of the 
Lincoln sheep is very wide- 
spread. In Britain it is 
largely limited to Lincolnshire and adjoining east counties in 
England, but it has been extensively imported to the British 
colonies and to South America and Canada. Herbert Gibson 
states that in 1862 one Lincoln ram was shipped to his father, 
Thomas Gibson, on the Yngleses estancia in Argentina; in 1863 
a large number were imported, followed by two lots in 1 864 and 
successive importations each year after. A very large per cent of 
the 67,000,000 sheep in Argentina about 1910 are said to have 
been pure Lincolns or crosses of this breed. From October i, 
19 1 2, to September 30, 191 3, there were exported from England 
2400 rams and ewes as follows: 1728 rams and 468 ewes to 




Fig. 304. A Lincoln ewe lamb of very superior 
character at the 1904 show of the Royal 
Agricultural Society of England. Her fleece 
swept the ground. From photograph by 
H. B. Arbuckle, by courtesy of the AkUional 
Stockman and Fa7-i)ter 



THE LINCOLN 645 

South America, in to Australia, 60 to Russia, 16 to Spain, 
10 to Holland, 4 each to Italy and New Zealand, 3 to Canada, 
and I to South Africa. During the first nine months of 1916 
there were exported 1709 rams to Argentina. This gives one 
an idea of the wide distribution of the breed. In 1908 it was 
reported that 4000 pure-bred Lincolns were registered in Canada, 
and mainly in Ontario. In the United States the Lincoln has had 
a rather modest development. There are good flocks in Ohio and 
Michigan, but the breed seems to meet with most favor in Oregon, 
Idaho, and Montana, doing especially well in the Willamette valley 
in Oregon, where the climatic conditions seem especially favorable. 
The promotion of Lincoln sheep in an official way first began in 
1 89 1 with the organization in the United States of the National 
Lincoln Sheep Breeders' Association. This organization has pub- 
lished but few flock books. The Lincoln Long Wool Sheep 
Breeders' Association, with headquarters in Lincolnshire, England, 
was organized in 1892. 



CHAPTER LIX 

THE ROMNEY MARSH 

The native home of the Romney Marsh sheep is in the county 
of Kent in soutlieastern England, where it is also known as the 
Kent breed. Kent has an area of 1520 square miles, and on the 
north is bordered by the river Thames and the North Sea and on 
the east by the latter body of water. This is a fertile agricultural 
county, famous for its hop fields, with an undulating surface in 
part, but with much low land. The district known as Romney 
Marsh is located in southeast Kent and in the eastern part of 
Sussex. The land is about level with the sea, from which it is 
protected by sea walls built centuries ago. "The soil is usually a 
deep alluvial clay interspersed with portions of infertile sand or 
gravel," says Wrightson, " and the area is traversed by wide ditches 
full of water." This region is sparsely settled and is largely 
devoted to the Romney Marsh sheep ; here they are kept in large 
numbers, grazing in the summer on the rich pastures. The climate 
is moist and comparatively mild. 

The early type of Romney Marsh was rather comparable with 
other breeds in being deficient in rib, heavy of bone, long of leg, 
and coarse of wool. Very little is known of the early history of 
the breed, but it seems evident that in the first part of the nine- 
teenth century Leicester blood was extensively used, though not 
with special success. Leicesters reduced the size and constitution, 
although improving the form and maturing qualities. 

In 1855, referring to these sheep. Professor Wilson thus de- 
scribes the breed : 

The head and legs are white ; the head long and broad, with a tuft of wool 
on forehead ; no horns ; neck long and thin ; breast narrow with moderate fore 
quarters ; the body long with flattish sides and sharp chine ; loins wide and 
strong ; the belly large ; thighs broad and thiclv ; and legs and feet large, 
with coarse bone and muscle. They are very hardy and are well adapted for 
the bleak, and exposed district of the Romney Marshes. They also bear stock- 
ing closer than other breeds, as it is not unusual to see six or eight fattening 

646 



THE ROMNEY MARSH 



647 



sheep placed to the acre. The improved breed produces sheep ready for 
market at from two to three years old, weighing from 120 to 140 pounds. 
The fleece is valuable, weighing on the average 8 pounds. 

The modern type of Romney Marsh sheep is a decided improve- 
ment over tlie breed as described by Wilson. The head is white 
and hornless, with a broad, aquiline nose, and a thick foretop of wool 
is common, although often lacking. The flesh at the nose is black. 
The ears are large and thick. Careful selection and breeding 




Fig. 305. A Romney Marsh ram, first prize in class at the 1904 show of the Royal 
Agricultural Society of England. Owned and exhibited by Charles File. From 
photograph, by courtesy of William Cooper & Nephews, Berkhamsted, England 

has reduced the size somewhat, but has produced a sheep more 
compact of frame and more easily fattened than the old sort. The 
back is broader, the ribs are longer, the coupling shorter, and the 
leg of mutton heavier and of excellent quality. In the improve- 
ment of the breed the fleece has been refined to a marked degree. 
The adaptability of the Romney Marsh sheep to low-lying lands 
has caused it to be regarded with favor in eastern England and 
in some other sections, for it seems freer from foot rot and liver 
fluke than most breeds ; in fact, it is claimed that this breed on 
Romney Marshes is not affected with foot rot at all. 



648 



SHEEP 



The size of the Romney Marsh sheep gives it a second-class 
rating among the large breeds, the mature rams weighing about 
225 to 250 pounds and the ewes from 175 to 200 pounds. A 
New Zealand standard adopted in 19 16 assigned 240 pounds as 
a very acceptable weight for the ram. 

The quality of Romney Marsh mutton is superior to that of the 
other long wools, being less coarse and more comparable with the 

heavier Down breeds, 
such as the Hampshire 
and Oxford. The fat 
is more evenly distrib- 
uted and the bone is 
finer than in the case of 
Lincoln or Cotswold. 
The Romney Marsh 
as a feeder ranks very 
high on its native 
marshes, where it has 
held popular favor for 
a long period of time. 
Here the use of grain 
is the exception and 
not the rule. In Ar- 
gentina it has proved a 
very excellent feeder 
on the low-lying mead- 
ows of that country, and 
in New Zealand it has 




Fig. 306. A Romney Marsh ram, champion in 191 5 
at the Panama-Pacific Exposition, San Francisco. 
Exhibited by R. Matthews, Featherston, New Zea- 
land. From photograph, by courtesy of the American 
Sheep Breeder 



been received with special favor where low lands are common. At the 
Smithfield Club Show between 1895 and 191 2, quoting Henry and 
Morrison, 65 yearling wethers, averaging six hundred and six days 
old, showed an average weight of 267 pounds, with a daily gain 
of .44 pound, while 73 lambs weighing 160 pounds at two hundred 
and fifty days old made an average gain of .64 pound a day. 

The crossbred Romney Marsh sheep, with Merino blood on the 
dam's side, have proved very satisfactory in Australia. Hawkes- 
worth states ^ that few crosses give equal results and none better, 
1 Austrahan Sheep and Wool, 1906. 



THE ROMNEY MARSH 649 

both as a mutton and a wool-bearing sheep, while for exporting 
frozen carcasses, " they are almost an ideal sheep — useful weights, 
about 60 pounds as hoggets [wether lambs] ; joints well balanced 
and plump ; fat not excessive, is well distributed, and the flesh 
has an agreeable flavor." 

The fleece of the Romney Marsh sheep is long and compact 
and more refined than the Leicester, grading as low quarter-blood 
combing. It is hardly a braid or long wool, yet it seems closely 
related to it. Hawkesworth states that Romney Marsh wool is not 
understood in Australia, the mistake being that it resembles Lin- 
coln or Leicester. He classes it as a demi-luster wool with a com- 
manfling length and an undulating' crimp, much finer than the 
Leicester, and " of a fine, soft nature." It is suggested that the 
thigh wool should be improved in quality. The unwashed fleeces 
of twelve months' growth should weigh about 12 to 14 pounds. 

The prices paid for Romney Marsh sheep have attained high 
levels. In 191 1 A. J. Hickman, a prominent dealer and breeder, 
stated that up to 1905 the record price for a Romney Marsh ram 
was $280, whereas in 19 10 his whole consignment averaged $242, 
the highest average that year for any breed sold in Great Britain. 
Between 1906 and 191 1 "many Romney rams have topped the 
$500 mark. One ram made $1300 to a South American breeder 
this year, and another made $1500 to go to New Zealand." ^ 
J. E. Quested sold 24 rams at the 191 7 Ashford sale for an 
average of $315, one bringing $1050. All told, at this sale, 284 
rams of the breed averaged $160. In 1919, at the Ashford ram 
sale in Kent, one ram brought $5000 and was later sold to go to 
Buenos Aires for $8000. 

The distribution of the Romney Marsh sheep in England is 
essentially restricted to the southeastern section, more espe- 
cially Kent and Sussex. In 1856 Robert Gibson visited Romney 
Marsh district and, noting its similarity to the Tuyu lands of Ar- 
gentina, made a small importation. Since this time many sheep 
of the breed have been sent to South America from England. 
Romney Marsh sheep are popular in parts of Australia and New 
Zealand, and many have been exported to these countries, as well 
as to South Africa. These sheep are almost unknown in North 

^American Sheep Breeder, December, 191 1. 



650 



SHEEP 



America. In 1904 William RiddcU and Sons of Oregon imported 
I ram and 4 ewes from England, These were exhibited at the 
Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. Louis the same year, but were 
not looked upon with favor, not being regarded as good specimens 
of the breed. In 1906 the Wyoming Experiment Station imported 
I ram and 3 ewes. Again in 1909 Riddell and Sons made an im- 
portation, this time of i ram and 1 1 ewes from New Zealand, since 
which this firm has made two other importations, all three coming 




Fig. 307. A pair of Romney Marsh ewes exhibited in 1915 at the Panama- 
Pacific International Exposition. From photograph, by courtesy of the American 

Sheep B7'eeder 



from the flock of E. Short. In 1909 A. J. Hickman of Kent, 
England, sent 32 rams to America, which were not well received. 
At present there are but few of these sheep in the United States. 

The promotion of Romney Marsh sheep in England is under 
the supervision of the Kent or Romney Marsh Sheep Breeders' 
Association, with headquarters in London. This association has 
published twenty-four volumes of flock books up to 19 19. 

On December 5, 191 1, the American Romney Sheep Breeders' 
Association was organized at Chicago, the late J. E. Wing being 
its main promoter and its first secretary. This organization up to 
19 1 9 had registered but few sheep and published no flock book. 



CHAPTER LX 
THE BLACK-FACED HIGHLAND 

The native home of Black -faced Highland sheep is the more 
elevated sections of Scotland, especially in the counties of Perth 
and Dumbarton in what is known as the Highlands, not far re- 
moved from the city of Glasgow. The higher altitudes here reach 
nearly four thousand feet, and on these rough, bleak, heather- 
topped summits the Black-faced Highland is found in his element. 
This is a region that is sparsely settled, the winters are severe and 
cold, snow is abundant, and these sheep exist at times under very 
rigorous conditions, such as require the hardiest of constitutions. 

The origin of the Black-faced Highland sheep is veiled in 
obscurity. Theories have been advanced, but whence the breed 
originated, says Scott,i has not been revealed in any of the his- 
torical records. It has been claimed that the breed is native to 
the country, that it was introduced into Ettrick Forest in 1503 
by James IV of Scotland, that '" dun-faced " sheep were imported 
into Scotland from Denmark or Norway at a very early period, 
and that they came from the ships of the Spanish Armada wrecked 
on the coast of Scotland in 1588. Scott believes there is no doubt 
but that this is the oldest breed known in Great Britain. The in- 
troduction of these sheep into the Highlands is definitely known to 
have taken place close to 1750, and they were taken to the West 
Highlands about 1762 by a Mr. Campbell, who at one time lived 
in Ayrshire. Early in the nineteenth century the Cheviot grew 
greatly in popularity in the Highlands, but about i860 the snows 
were unusually severe, and these sheep suffered severely on the 
higher elevations, while the Black-faced sheep proved more hardy 
and thereafter supplanted the Cheviots on the more exposed 
uplands. This is the case at the present time — the Cheviots 
occupying the grass-covered hills of the Border country rather 
than the rougher, heather-coated Highlands farther north. 

1 John Scott, Black-faced Sheep. Edinburgh, 1888. 
651 



652 



SHEEP 



The introduction of Black-faced Highland sheep to America first 
occurred in June, 1861, Hugli Brodie importing i ram and 2 ewes 
for Brodie and Campbell, New York Mills, New York. In 1867 this 
flock and its increase was purchased by T. L, Harison of Morley, 
St. Lawrence County, New York. Isaac Stickney of New York also 
imported a small flock about 1867 for his farm in Illinois. Since 
then an occasional importation has been made, especially by wealthy 
men for country estates in the East. In 191 3 Alexander Mowat of 




Fig. 308. A Black-Faced Highland ram. Frequently the wool sweeps the ground, 
completely covering the legs. From photograph secured by the author in Scotland 

Scotland wrote the Breeders' Gazette that two lots of Black-faced 
Highland sheep were being exported to America for foundation 
flocks, one for New York and one for Massachusetts, the latter 
containing a ram and 20 ewes of the best breeding. 

Characteristics of the Black -faced Highland sheep. Both sexes 
have horns, those of the males being rather large, taking one or 
two spiral curves. The ewes' horns are small, thin, and curved, 
but not spiral. The face is covered with hair — not wool — of 
either a solid black or a mottled white-and-black color. The nose is 
strong and prominent, the nostrils wide and black, and the ears 
short and small. The body is that of the tvpical mutton sheep, 
but is short and muscular, rather blocky, and smoothly turned. The 



THE BLACK-FACED HIGHLAND 653 

fleece, which is of the long-wool class, is very long and coarse, 
attaining an extreme length of 20 to 22 inches, and with a year of 
growth often sweeps the ground. It is commonly kempy and very 
loosely covers the body. In temperament the breed is very wild 
and independent, quite unlike the heavier, lowland sheep. 

The size of Black-faced Highland sheep ranges from small to 
medium. The rams in breeding condition weigh from 140 to 
160 pounds and the ewes from 120 to 140. Weights of these 
sheep are rarely taken in Scotland, excepting after slaughter, at 
which time the weight is based on the quarters. In 1837 Youatt 
stated that when fattened these sheep weighed from 16 to 20 
pounds per quarter, while fifty years later good average weights 
on the farm were given as 15 to 16 pounds per quarter. Scott 
states that when taken from the hills in autumn and put on ordi- 
nary fattening fare in the Lowlands, they easily attain a weight of 
20 pounds per quarter. 

The quality of Black -faced mutton is very superior ; in fact, 
nothing equals it on the British market for grain, disposition of 
fat, small per cent of waste, and prime flavor. (3n this point Scott 
says that " their meat has a peculiarly delicate flavor, which is 
much prized at the tables of the rich. Around the mansions of the 
nobility it is common to see a number of wedders [wethers] of this 
breed, kept for the double purpose of ornament to the parks and 
supplying meat for the household." 

Crossbred or grade Black-faced Highland sheep meet with 
favor in Scotland, giving a heavier-fleshed type with the good 
quality of mutton of the pure-bred. Robert Wallace states that 
the produce of a Black-faced ewe by a Leicester ram is called a 
"cross" or "mule" and by a Cheviot ram a "half long." The 
latter name is given because a Black-faced is sometimes termed 
the "short" sheep and a Cheviot the "long" sheep. As ewes 
these sheep of mixed breed are good milkers. 

The Black-faced Highland sheep as a producer of wool does 
not rank very high. The staple is very coarse, grading as a low 
quarter-blood, and varies greatly in quality, according to whether 
from shoulder or thigh, that on the hind quarter as a rule being 
very coarse and hairy in character. The weight of fleece is light, 
that on ewes ranging from 3^^ to 4^ pounds. In one of the noted 



654 SHEEP 

flocks in Scotland — that of McKcrsie of Glenbuck — the average 
weight of fleece in 1886 was 5| pounds. Scott gives the average 
weight of fleeces as 5 to 6 pounds. Wool of this class is exten- 
sively used in Scotland for blankets, carpets, and rugs. 

The prices paid for Black-faced Highland sheep are nominal 
for American trade, but of some importance in Scotland. In 1887 
there were sold 4952 head for the average price of $22.18, with 
a top price of nearly $375 for a ram, the highest price on record 
for a Black-faced Highland sheep to that time. In 191 4 a ram 
sold in Scotland for ^iio ($535), and in September, 1916, 
Mrs. Watters of Perthshire paid $1500 for a yearling ram at the 
Lanark sale. At this same sale James Clark sold his first-prize 
pen of 5 yearling rams at an average price of $566, a new high 
record for a pen. At the Perth ram sale in 19 16 the top price 
was nearly $900, a second ram brought $750, and 20 rams of 
one consignor averaged $150. In September, 1919, Buchanan 
Brothers of Muirkirk, Scotland, sold a yearling ram for $2000. 

The distribution of Black -faced Highland sheep is mainly over 
the Highlands of Scotland and to a small extent on the higher of 
the mountain regions of north England. Large numbers are bred 
in the Highlands and this, with the Cheviot, occupies most of the 
space at the Scotch shows. These sheep have been exported to 
various countries where the conditions are rough and grazing rela- 
tively poor, but have secured no foothold of note. R. H. Williams 
of New Jersey, in 191 8, acquired a flock of 160 head that had been 
developed in that state from imported stock. There are some of 
these sheep in Massachusetts and also in West Virginia. 

The promotion of Black-faced Highland sheep is essentially in 
the hands of the Scotch. A Black-faced Sheep Breeders' Associa- 
tion has its headquarters at Moniaive, Scotland, and publishes a 
flock book. On January 31, 1907, the American Black-faced 
Highland Sheep Association was organized in New York City, 
but has had a nominal membership and shows little or no activity. 

The special field for Black -faced Highland sheep in America 
should be the mountain regions east and west, but more especially 
the higher sections of the lower Alleghenies, where grass grows 
in abundance. The Cheviot, however, is almost equally hardy and 
is far better suited to the American market. 



CHAPTER LXI 
THE CORRIEDALE 

The native home of the Corriedale is the group of islands in 
the South Pacific Ocean known as New Zealand, lying about 
looo miles southeast from Australia. There are two main islands 
here, the North and South, separated by Cook Strait, 1 6 to 90 miles 
wide. North Island is in the main gently undulating, though hav- 
ing volcanic peaks rising to 9000 feet, while South Island along its 
western side has a lofty and majestic mountain range towering to 
12,000 feet. " The character of the country upon which the Cor- 
riedale is bred in New Zealand," says Professor Marshall,^ "varies 
from level and fairly rich artificial grass pasture to rough hills 
with altitudes around 3000 feet, on which snow lies for several 
months at a time." The climate of New Zealand is very equable, 
and the rainfall ranges from 20 to 100 inches a year. This is 
essentially an agricultural and pastoral country, with a greater 
number of sheep per acre than elsewhere in the world. In 191 5 
New Zealand was reported as having nearly 25,000,000 sheep. 

The origin of the Corriedale is quite recent. It is the result of 
crossing long-wool rams on Merino ewes, more especially the 
Lincoln and Leicester. The policy adopted was one of extensive 
breeding and persistent culling to secure a type of sheep best 
suited to New Zealand that would produce both mutton and wool 
to a satisfactory extent. The claim is made, however, that the line 
of Corriedale breeding was first suggested by James Little, who, 
in 1865, brought to the Corriedale estate on the South Island 
some Romney sheep and proposed that they be bred to Merinos 
in order to improve the sheep of the island. This flock, however, 
was soon dispersed ; and soon after Mr. Little moved to the 
North Island, where, in 1878, he began systematic crossing on 
the Allendale estate at Waikiri. The Nezv Zealand Fanner says 2; 

'^'Bit/h'iiii jij. United States Department of Agriculture, November 13, 1915. 
■^ The Wyoming Corriedale Sheep Company. A pamphlet on Corriedales {1916). 

655 



656 



SHEEP 



He set to work to build up a flock and started out by buying the biggest 
framed and sturdiest looking Merino ewes he could get, four thousand being 
thus selected. These were bred to Lincoln rams, and from the best ram lambs, 
the progeny of these Merino ewes and Lincoln rams, 100 of the best ram lambs 
were saved, then further severe cull was made, and 20 of the best picked out. 
These were mated with the pick of the half-bred ewes, the progeny of the 
Merino ewes and Lincoln rams. The flock did very well, indeed, under heavy 
culling and careful management, and the chief points which worried Mr. Little 
were a tendency to droop in the tail, a rough hip and weak shoulder. These 
defects had to be rectified, and the ideal that Mr. Little kept before him all 




Fig. 309. Ensor's Double Brand, an aged Corriedale ram owned by C. H. Ensor, 
New Zealand. From photograph, by courtesy of Professor F. R. Marshall 

the time was to get the solid, well-shaped carcass of a Shropshire or South- 
down, well covered with a good staple of the best quality half-bred wool. He 
also recognized that to make the breed worth while it must be a sheep that 
should be able to fight for itself and need no coddling, and there was the 
point of early maturity to be considered, as the development of the frozen 
meat trade would make this of considerable importance. Mr. Little's fleeces 
soon began to be known overseas, and there was very flattering competition 
for the clip on the market which he began to top. 

Others engaged in crossing and culling on much the same line as 
Mr. Little, notably C. H. Ensor, who used Leicester rams, andW, S. 
Davidson, who, like Mr, Little, depended on Lincolns for sires. 



THE CORRIEDALE 



657 



From the above it can be seen that the Corriedale is a very 
recent breed. In fact it has not been recognized as a breed where 
might have been expected. Professor Hawkesworth, noted as an 
Austrahan authority, in his standard work on sheep and wool, pub- 
hshed in 1906, makes no reference to the Corriedale. The first 
important American presentation of the breed was by Professor 
F. R. Marshall in 191 5 in Bulletin JIJ of the United States 
Department of Agriculture, on '" Features of the Sheep Industries 
of the United States, 
New Zealand, and 
Australia compared." 

The importation of 
the Corriedale sheep in- 
to North America first 
took place in 19 14, 
when Professor F. R. 
Marshall was sent to 
New Zealand by the 
United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture to 
study the sheep indus- 
try of that country and 
Australia and "for the 
importation of Corrie- 
dale and other prom- 
ising breeds of sheep 

for breeding purposes." As a result of this trip there were landed 
at San Francisco on December 31, 19 14, fifty-three ewes and ten 
rams, imported as a foundation flock. F. S. King of Wyoming 
accompanied Professor Marshall on his trip to New Zealand, and 
in 191 5 he imported from the flock of C. H. Ensor, since which 
time he has brought many Corriedales to America. 

The characteristics of the Corriedale sheep. This is an entirely 
white breed with a cap of wool over the head to the eyes or 
beyond, but showing plenty of white hair on the face. The back 
and loin are said to be especially good, while the hind quarters are 
thick and of excellent mutton form. In conformation it is a wide 
mutton sheep and with a depth of rib indicating a good feeder. 




Fig. 310. A Corriedale ewe bred and owned by the 

Wyoming Corriedale Sheep Company, Cheyenne. 

P"rom pliotograph, by courtesy of the owners 



65<S SHEEP 

The weight of the Corriedale sheep, according to King,^ is 300 

pounds for mature stud rams, 250 to 290 pounds tor two-year- 
old rams, with yearlings" up to 220 pounds. Six months' lambs 
are said to attain a weight of 100 pounds. Many ewes weigh from 
200 to 250 pounds. 

The fleece of the Corriedale sheep represents a very long staple 
suggesting the fine-wool ancestry, but with -more coarseness and 
length. In discussing the fleece F. S. King offers the following ^ : 

The fleece is about 5 inches in staple, runs about 6o"s in the count," has a 
decided crimp, is a strong, robust wool of the half-blood type running into fine 
medium grade, carries a good luster, and the belly wool is thickly put on and 
free of grease. The fleece is fairly even throughout and is free from jars or 
dog hair. . . . The wool brings a top price, and being set well on the sheep in a 
quite dense, compact fleece that is free from any surplus grease, held well to- 
gether with binders, makes a great protection to the body from cold wet winds 
or spring snows. It keeps out the dirt well and is quite an attractive article 
both to the buyer and seller. 

The Corriedale fleece, being somewhat light in ycjlk, is a fairly 
heavy weigher. Marshall gives figures regarding eighteen sheep 
shown at the 19 14 Christchurch Show, New Zealand, on which 
occasion the fleeces ranged from 15 to 20 pounds 14 ounces. 
According to F, S. King top-selected ewes will shear fleeces 
weighing from 14 to 18 pounds. 

The rank of the Corriedale as a mutton producer is very good 
in its native country. It matures early and lays on weight rapidly, 
producing a smooth, well-covered carcass that dresses out very 
satisfactorily and seems especially suited for export in the frozen- 
meat trade. On the London market carcasses of Corriedale blood 
command a high price. In the Canterbury district of New Zealand 
crossbred ewes — the result of breeding Lincoln or Leicester 
rams to Merino ewes — are bred to Southdown rams, the combi- 
nation producing a much-desired carcass in the London market 
known as " Canterbury lamb," which commands a premium 
for its excellence. King reports that in packing-plants lambs 

^ American Sheep Breeder, May, 191 5. 
2 Ibid. February, 1915. 

8 A technical term indicating that i pound of top wool in the mill can be spun 
into yarn 60 times 560, or 33,600 yards in all. 



THE CORRIEDALE 659 

are usually killed at four to five months old and that they kill 
out 36 to 40 pounds dressed carcass. 

The Corriedale as a grazer or forager is regarded as superior, 
showing the distinctive characteristics of the Merino in this respect, 
with its valuable flocking habit. The claim is made that the Corrie- 
dale is hardier than the Merino and will withstand severe changes 
of weather conditions in the mountains better than the Merino. 

The prices paid for Corriedales are not remarkable. At the 
Sydney, New South Wales, ram sales in 19 14 the top price for 
rams was $37$, while flock rams brought $35. Reserve breeding 
ewes sold for $40 and common ewes for $15. Two hundred ewes 
of C. H. Ensor's breeding, in the 19 18 Sydney sale, averaged 
$131, with the top at $176. At the ram sales at Salt Lake City 
in 191 8 fifteen rams were offered from the United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture flock and three by the Wyoming Corriedale 
Company. The top price was ^525 for a government ram, with two 
from the Wyoming Company selling for ^500 each. The lowest 
price at which a ram of the breed sold on this occasion was ^150, 
twelve head selling from this price up to $250. 

The distribution of the Corriedale at present is in New Zealand 
nearly altogether, but they have also been introduced into Australia 
and Tasmania. Considerable numbers are now being brought to 
America, which thus far have been distributed in the Northwestern 
and Pacific coast states, with Wyoming interests especially pro- 
moting the breed. Some of these sheep have been shipped into 
western Canada, and they have also gained a foothold in 
Argentina and British East Africa. In view of the interests pro- 
moting these sheep in the United States, they are very likely to 
have a wide distribution in this country. 

The official promotion of Corriedale sheep began with its recog- 
nition bv the New Zealand Sheep Breeders' Association, which has 
already published a number of volumes of Corriedale flock books. 
In December, 191 5, the American Corriedale Sheep Breeders' As- 
sociation was organized, with headquarters at Cheyenne, Wyoming. 



CHAPTER LXII 

THE KARAKUL 

The native home of Karakul sheep is Bokhara and the neigh- 
boring districts in Turkestan, Russia, in the region between the 
Caspian Sea and northern Afghanistan. Bokhara is in about 
latitude 40° N., between 60° and 70° east longitude, and about 
1700 miles east of Constantinople. Western Bokhara comprises 
much desert land, while the eastern part is very mountainous. 
The summers are hot and dry, the winters cold and with much 
snow. Agriculture is the chief occupation of the country. Horses, 
cattle, sheep, goats, and camels are raised in considerable num- 
bers. From three to four million sheep are found in this region. 
It has been stated^ that the name is derived from Kara-Kid 
(black lake), a village in eastern Bokhara. 

The origin of Karakul sheep is one of obscurity. Dr. C. C. Young 
of Texas, who, in 1909, visited Bokhara, believes that long-tailed 
black sheep of Danadar were the original fur-bearing stock of 
Central Asia, and when crossed on the white fine-wooled sheep 
of Afghanistan produced the gray Danadar. These gray sheep 
eventually were crossed with a fat-rumped breed, resulting in what 
is known as the Arabi, from which the Karakul is descended. 
Another type of fur-bearing sheep, the Duzbai, is also said to be 
derived from a cross of the black Danadar and fat-rumped sheep. 
Undoubtedly the sheep of this region are more or less mixed in 
blood lines if one can judge from specimens imported to America. 

The introduction of Karakul sheep into America first took place 
in December, 1909, when Dr. C. C. Young of Belen, Texas, im- 
ported I 5 head — 3 rams and 1 2 ewes. Other importations were 
made by Young in 191 3 and 191 4 — a total of 31 rams and 
23 ewes in the three importations. What have been known as Per- 
sian sheep were imported in June, 1892, by Truxton Beale, United 

1 F. R. Marshall, T,. T,. Heller, and V. O. McWhorter, Karakul Sheep. Year- 
book of the United States Department of Agriculture (191 5), p- 249- 

660 



THE KARAKUL 



66 1 



States minister to Persia, who presented 6 head to Secretary of 
Agriculture Rusk. Another importation was made in 1910. These 
Persian sheep apparently came from Bokhara and may be more 
or less grouped with the Karakul as producing Persian fur. 

The characteristics of the Karakul sheep of special interest are 
as follows : The head, usually horned with the rams and hornless 
with the ewes, is narrow, with the nose of marked Roman type 
in the rams but fairly 
straight with the ewes. 
The ears are small, 
more or less drooping, 
and set somewhat low, 
even below the level of 
the eyes. The neck is 
long and scrawny, the 
shoulders prominent, 
the back narrow, the 
ribs flat rather than well 
arched, the loin high, 
the rump very drooping 
and terminating in a 
heavy, thick, broad fat 
tail, which tapers rap- 
idly from the body but 
extends quite to the 
hocks. This tail may 
weigh 5 or 6 pounds. 

The legs are slender and somewhat long, just such as might be 
expected with mountain sheep. According to Holm the head, 
ears, legs, and feet should be black, though " occasionally a small 
white spot and, frequently, gray hairs are found on the head." 
Karakuls are of medium size. 

The fleece of the Karakul sheep is the feature for which the 
breed is especially valued. On mature sheep the wool is long 
and very coarse, grading as an inferior braid or carpet wool and 
measuring up to 8 inches long, and lies in loose locks on the 
body. This coat (which some writers term hair and others wool) 
with age turns from black to a grayish or brownish black, while 




Fig. 311. Doctor, an imported Karakul ram owned 

by the New England Karakul Company, Alton, 

New Hampshire. From photograph, by courtesy of 

F. E. Uawley 



662 SHEEP 

below this long outer fleece, with some sheep, is a covering of 
short, lustrous black hair which is regarded as undesirable. The 
fleece on the lambs at time of birth is very thick, curly, and 
extremely lustrous, and is usually a deep black in color, although 
shades of gray or brown occasionally occur. In the course of 
three to nine days after birth the fleece loses its curly character 
and gradually assumes a straight appearance. An important 
feature of the coat on the newborn lamb is that the curls should 
be very close together, with a minimum of open spaces between 
them. The curls should also cover the body completely. Alexander 
Albright, a Texas breeder, states that lambs four months old in 
July will shear 4 to 5 pounds of fleece. 

The fur of the young Karakul lamb is used for making ladies' 
muffs, collars, coats, etc., and in the trade it is classed as Persian, 
Astrakhan, Broadtail, and Krimmer. According to Marshall and 
others,^ the color is black in each class except the Krimmer, but 
the character of curl varies. Persian has the most pronounced, 
the most uniform, and the tightest curls and is most valuable. 
Astrakhan is longer, more open, and less lustrous than Persian. 
" Moire " Astrakhan has a skin that is light and soft, with straight 
hair, but with marked luster. Broadtail skins are from lambs pre- 
maturely born, the skins being light and the fiber wavy rather 
than curled. Krimmer is a gray fur produced in the Crimea. The 
skins in the above classes are graded, and all but the Krimmer 
are derived from Karakuls reared in Bokhara. 

The grade or crossbred Karakul has its chief interest as a 
producer of commercial fur. Pure-bred Karakul rams used on 
ewes of the long-wool type, such as Lincoln, Leicester, or 
Cotswold, sire lambs that tend to produce very good furs. The 
Animal Husbandry Division of the United States Department of 
Agriculture has conducted some interesting experiments in this 
field and secured good skins from some crosses with long-wool 
type ewes and poor results with medium and fine-wool ewes. A 
cross of Karakul ram on Barbadoes ewes resulted in low-grade 
furs, but the ewes of this cross, bred to another Karakul ram, 
produced some excellent furs. A Texas breeder of Karakuls 
secured good results from a mating of Karakul rams on half-bred 

1 Yearbook of the United States Department of Agriculture, 191 5. 



THE KARAKUL 663 

Karakul-Lincoln ewes. In 191 1 Dr. Young wrote^ that an excel- 
lent fur is obtained by crossing a half- or three-quarter-bred Karakul 
ram with the long-wooled sheep known as " Romanovskaja," resem- 
bling the Black-faced Highland. He also states that the Russians 
are beginning to realize that the English breeds — as, the Lincoln, 
Leicester, Cotswold, and, especially, the Shropshire — yield fur 
far superior to anything that Asia can produce. Dr. Young pro- 
duced some " salable skins " through a Karakul-Merino cross, and 
a " much prettier skin " in a Karakul-Shropshire cross, but he says : 

If we wish to excel in luster the best of so-called Persian lamb skins we 
must confine ourselves entirely to the long-wooled sheep. In my opinion the 
Lincolns produce the best fur, although the difference in luster between the 
young Lincoln and Cotswold lamb is hardly sufficiently perceptible to entitle 
one to a positive statement. 

It is important to note that some Karakul rams are much more 
prepotent than others in transmitting the more valued qualities of 
the fur, and that half-bred or grade Karakul rams as a rule yield 
inferior results. 

The market value of Karakul furs varies in a great degree. 
About 1,500,000 skins are said to be exported annually from 
Bokhara and adjoining regions. Under pre-war conditions first- 
class dyed skins sold in small lots at from $15 to $20 each, while 
inferior ones were quoted as low as $3. It is stated that the 
average value of all the skins sold at the Russian fair at Nijni 
Novgorod in 191 3 was $6.25. Skins from lambs from half-bred 
Karakul-Barbadoes ewes, produced by the United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture, were valued at 50 cents to ^10, with an 
average of $4.70. Dr. Young thinks that skins from a Karakul- 
Merino cross on a three-day-old lanib should be worth $2 or ^3 
each, while that from a Karakul-Lincoln should bring $5. The 
price on undyed skins in Europe has greatly increased in recent 
years, and Holm states that in Leipzig, where the dyeing is chiefly 
done, about 385,000 skins are handled annually, showing an aver- 
age value of $4. 

The mutton value of the Karakul is regarded as very satisfac- 
tory. The mutton of the mature sheep is considered of good 

1 C. C. Young, The Karakul Breed of Sheep. Americatt Breeders' Magazine, 
Vol. II, No. I. 



664 SHEEP 

quality, while the tails in their native country are rated as a delicacy, 
the fat replacing butter. In October, 191 6, R. A. Tavvney of Colo- 
rado marketed 400 black grade lambs on the Kansas City market 
that were five months old and averaged 70 pounds live weight, 
with price much the same as native lambs of the same weight. 

The hardiness of the Karakul is very marked. In their native 
home they undergo conditions of great winter severity. As tried 




Fig. 312. Karakul ewes owned by C. P. Bailey & Sons, San Jose, California. 
From photograph, by courtesy of the American Sheep Breeder 

in South Africa and the United States they have proved most 
vigorous. The breed, however, is not suited to a damp climate 
and should not be reared under conditions of unusual moisture. 
"There is no evidence," writes Holm,^ "that although extremely 
hardy, they possess immunity to any of the South African sheep 
diseases, and the same care should be exercised with Karakuls as 
with other sheep." 

The fecundity of the Karakul is not marked. As a rule the 
ewes drop one lamb a year. Pure-bred ewes require special atten- 
tion during breeding season on account of the heavy tail ; in fact, 
1 Alexander Ilohn, Karakul Sheep. Pretoria, South Africa, 1916. 



THE KARAKUL 665 

this should be removed from the young ewe lambs reserved for 
breeding, thereby facilitating breeding operation. 

The distribution of Karakul sheep is very widespread. Outside 
of their native home they are found in parts of Africa, in Europe, 
and in North America. In the Union and Southwest Africa the 
Karakul is receiving considerable attention. The native Afrikander 
sheep is of the fat-tail type and crosses well with the Karakul. In 
Canada, G. Erie O'Brien ^ reports that these sheep are also being 
carefully tried, flocks having been established in Nova Scotia and 
Prince Edward Island in 191 3. The following year other impor- 
tations were made and flocks established in Nova Scotia, New 
Brunswick, and Alberta. In 19 18 there were between 500 and 
600 grade Karakuls in Canada, produced by crossing Karakul 
rams on native long- wool ewes. There were also about 100 rams 
and ewes of imported stock or descended from the same. Flocks 
of pure-breds and grades or crossbreds have been established in 
Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Colorado, Maryland, New York, and 
elsewhere. The claim was made in 191 7 that nearly all the pure- 
bred Karakuls were combined in one ownership, with headquarters 
in New York. 

1 Karakul Sheep and Persian Lamb Fur Production, raiiiphlct A\-i. /f, April, 
1918, Sheep and Goat Division, Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Canada. 



CHAPTER LXIII 

THE ANGORA GOAT 

The native home of the Angora goat is in the district of Angora 
in Asia Minor. This is a mountainous region 2000 to 4000 feet 
high, lying south of the Black Sea ; Angora, the principal city, 
is in 40° north latitude, 200 miles from the sea, and about 220 
miles south by southeast from Constantinople. The climate has 
wide extremes of heat and cold. In January and February the 
temperature may reach zero, while in June and July it will touch 
85 degrees. The rainfall is rather variable but light. The soil is 
frequently poor and free of vegetation. Forests occur to a consid- 
erable extent. It is probable that the Angora goat has inhabited 
this region for many centuries, dating back prior to the Christian 
Era. The atmospheric conditions about Angora are said to be 
especially favorable for producing a fine quality of hair. 

The origin of the Angora goat is quite obscure. There are some 
ten species of wild goats in Europe and Asia, and these are divided 
into two groups : one, the ibexes ; the other, the goats proper. The 
former are distinguished by horns "flat in front, with horizontal tri- 
angular sections, furnished with large transversal knots," while the 
latter have horns that are compressed and carinated in front, with a 
well-developed keel and with a rounded formation behind. Among 
the goats are two subspecies : Capra falconeri and Capra cegagrtis. 
"The latter," says Thompson, ^ "is also known as the Paseng, the 
Bezoar goat, or wild goat of Persia, and is generally accepted as the 
goat from which the Angora is descended through Capra hirciis, 
which is claimed to be the origin of all the common breeds of goats." 

Several varieties of goat in Angora are reported, each located 
in a special district. These, according to Gatheral, are the follow- 
ing : (i) Yavan-Ova, having a heavy, lustrous fleece ; (2) CJiorba, 

1 (jeorgc F. Thompson, Information concerning the Angora Goat. Bulletin 
2j, Bureau of Animal Industry, United States Department of Agriculture. 
Revised 1906. 

666 



THE ANGORA GOAT 66^ 

producing a very soft, fine moliair ; (3) CJmboiik-Ova, remarkable 
for lengtli and fineness of fiber ; (4) Ayash, white of fleece, but 
lacking luster ; (5) Jocvas, having a bright, showy, but kempy 
fleece. Other varieties are also referred to. 

The introduction of the Angora goat to America dates back to 
1849, when the Sultan of Turkey presented Dr. James B. Davis 




Fig. 313. Hobson's African, first in aged Angora buck class in 1905 at the Lewis 

and Clark Exposition, Portland, Oregon. Weight of fleece 18^ pounds at thirteen 

months old, selling for $1.50 per pound. At head of the flock of William Riddell 

& Sons, Monmouth, Oregon. From photograph, by courtesy of L. A. Webster 

of Columbia, South Carolina, with 9 choice animals — 2 bucks and 
7 does. These were long known as Cashmere goats, but evidence 
seems to show that they were true Angoras. These goats and 
their progeny were sold later to various people, especially to 
Colonel Richard Peters, who bought in 1854. They were shown 
quite extensively and attracted much attention. From the Davis 
importation, flocks became established over considerable territory 
in many states. A number of other importations followed that of 
1849. In 1 86 1 W. W. Chenery of Belmont, Massachusetts, made 



668 SHEEP 

two importations and others in 1866 and 1867. About 1867 
Messrs. I, S. Diehl and C. S. Brown imported 160 head and 
placed them on the farm of Mr. Brown at Newark, New Jersey. 
A number of other importations followed the above — notably that 
of John S. Harris of California, in 1876; Dr. W. C. Bailey of the 
same state, in 1901 (both of whom made personal selections in 
Asia Minor) ; and that of G. A. Hoerle of Kansas, who, in 1904, 
landed 147 head at New York from Cape Colony. 

The characteristics of the Angora goat are as follows : The 
Jiead (which should be broad at the forehead and wide at the 
muzzle) from the eyes down is covered with white hair, the lower 
jaw having a beard of fine hair. Horns surmount the head of each 
sex — those of the male may be eighteen to twenty inches long, 
turning upward and outward, with a backward spiral twist, the 
tips widely separated ; while the horns of the female, which attain 
a length of eight to ten inches, grow upward and point backward, 
with but little twist. The cars usually are large, six to eight inches 
long, and pendent. In some cases, however, the ears are foxlike 
— short, pointed, and pricked. The eye should be bright and of 
good size. The breast should be full, the shoulders well laid, the 
back straight and level, the ribs well sprung and deep, and the legs 
short. There is a tendency to steepness of rump, which is regarded 
as a serious objection. A pink ski7i is quite the thing, and no spots 
are tolerated by qualified judges. In quality the Angora ranks 
as superior. In temperament the breed is very quiet and easily 
managed. The musky odor of the common goat is not prevalent, 
unless with the males and then only during the breeding season. 

The fleece of the Angora is its most striking and important 
feature. It is commercially known as mohair. It differs from 
wool in having no exterior scales and not possessing the felting 
property common with wool. It also has a lustrous or silky quality 
which is most highly valued, for the greater the luster the higher 
the market value. The fleece should be pure white and com- 
pletely cover the body, " as dense on the belly and neck as on 
the back and sides." In some cases the head is crowned with a 
topknot, which falls in ringlets over the face or projects over the 
forehead only. The mohair attains a length of eight or ten inches 
during a year of growth and hangs in ringlets, which, Thompson 



THE ANGORA GOAT 



669 



says, " should be well formed from point to skin, and the tighter 
these ringlets are twisted the better ; loose, slightly wavy hair is 
objectionable and indicates coarseness and brittleness, and often 
lacks luster." Mohair is somewhat coarser than fine wool, but it 
is longer and much stronger. An average fleece weighs about four 
pounds. Very superior individuals will shear eight pounds or 
more. Riddell & Sons of Monmouth, Oregon, report that their 
buck Sultan, sweepstakes at the Lewis and Clark Exposition in 
1905, sheared a fleece 
that weighed i8i pounds, 
which they claimed made 
it the heaviest fleece on 
record at that time. Some 
owners of Angoras shear 
twice a year, in April and 
September, although this 
is not a general practice. 
This mohair lies over a 
short coat of hair known 
as kemp, which is hard 
and white, sometimes at- 
taining a length of four 
inches. Kemp is a very 
objectionable fiber, as it is 
coarse and will not take 
the dyes used with mohair. 

Its presence in American flocks is materially due to the influence 
of common-goat blood, on which the Angora has been much 
crossed in the past. Very careful selection of breeding sires 
greatly reduces this difficulty. If not shorn, the Angora goat 
will shed its fleece each spring. 

The prices of mohair differ according to the demand and quality. 
In Bradford, England, the mohair manufacturing center of the 
world, the price has undergone wide fluctuations. In March, 
191 8, mohair tops made the high record of $1.80 a pound at 
Bradford. Along at this same time choice mohair was quoted in 
America at 60 cents a pound in the bale. Kid fleeces as a rule 
bring the highest prices, and bucks, wethers, and old does the 




F'iG. 314. Aztec 10664, a champion Angora 
goat in important shows. Bred by D. C. 
Taylor & Son and sold for $1400 to Kemble 
Brothers of Iowa. Photograph from the 
National Stockman and Fanner 



670 



SHEEP 



least. In 19 19 the better grades sold on the ranch at from 50 to 
60 cents a pound with the more common fleece from 40 to 45 cents. 
The weight of the Angora goat is considerably less than that 
of an average-sized sheep. From sixty to one hundred pounds is 
regarded as a satisfactory range of weight. 

The Angora as a producer of mutton has grown in importance 
in recent years, though not regarded from the same point of view as 
that produced by sheep. The flesh of the fat young Angora makes 
excellent mutton, and in recent years large numbers have found 

their way into the mar- 
kets, where the carcasses 
have been sold as lamb. 
Some Angora breeders are 
enthusiastic over the supe- 
rior quality of the mutton. 
Wethers may be shorn for 
some years and then fat- 
tened and sold for mutton. 
In the stockyards these 
goats usually bring a lower 
price than sheep. 

The Angora as a reno- 
vator of brush land has a 
distinct value. The goat 
is naturally a browser and 
not a grazing animal. In 
brush lands he is in his element. He eats the slender tips and 
twigs and destroys young trees and brush very effectually. In 
Michigan, Wisconsin, and some other states large tracts of brush 
land have been pastured to flocks of goats, which have materially 
reduced the cost of clearing the land for farm purposes. From 
four to six goats are used per acre, and in two or three seasons 
they will destroy the brush, and grass will take its place. 

The prolificacy of the Angora goat is not marked. Rarely more 
than one kid is dropped a year, though twins and even triplets 
may occur. Thompson states that on the southwestern ranches 
the average percentage of kids is about seventy, with instances of 
flocks attaining 120 per cent. Coaklin Brothers of California, in a 




P'iG. 315. Pasha Columbia, a great Angora 
sire and show buck, purchased by Mrs. M. 
Armer, Kingston, New Mexico, for $1050. 
From photograph, by courtesy of the A^ational 
Stockman and Fanner 



THE ANGORA GOAT 671 

communication to the American Angora Goat Association,^ report 
that but few of the ewes have twins, and that in 19 14 they had 
only about five pairs of twins to one hundred does, with fewer 
twins coming each year in a flock of five hundred does. These 
brothers state that they raise about 90 per cent of their kids one 
year with another. 

Shelter for the Angora, in regions where considerable rainfall 
occurs, is emphasized by experienced breeders. The Angora will 
do well in cold or warm dry regions and at relatively high alti- 
tudes, but not when subjected to moisture. Goats from choice 
seek dry locations, and their barn or shed should be situated with 
good drainage, be well roofed, and given ample ventilation, with 
freedom from drafts. 

The price for Angora goats varies greatly. Many have changed 
hands on Western ranches at two or three dollars a head, but very 
high prices have been paid. Pure-bred, fair specimens have sold 
at prices comparable with sheep of average breeding character. In 
1 90 1, at the Kansas City Goat Show, the buck Pasha Columbia 
changed hands for ^1050, while the next year Mr. A. Kemble of 
Iowa paid ^1400 at the same show for the buck Aztec. Still 
later, in 1903, at the Kansas City Show, the buck Dick Junior, 
sweepstake of the show, sold for $1300. Lazarus, that sold in 
1900 for $700, was a famous show buck and proved to be a 
sire of much merit. The highest price ever paid for a doe in 
America was $900 for Oregon Beauty, champion yearling at 
Kansas City in 1905. In recent years no notable prices have 
been paid for Angoras, 

The distribution of Angora goats is very widespread. They are 
found in various parts of the world, but especially in Asia Minor, 
South Africa, and the United States. South Africa has a large 
Angora industry and prior to the World War was credited with 
producing 15,000,000 pounds of Mohair, as compared with 
10,000,000 pounds produced by Turkey. In 191 2 the British 
market imported over 35,000,000 pounds of mohair, but the 
amount imported steadily declined during the war to 3,500,000 
pounds in 19 17. In 1863 large flocks were reported in Massa- 
chusetts, New York, Maryland, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, 

1 The Angora Goat. A descriptive booklet, 1918. 



6/2 SHEEP 

Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa, 
Kansas, and Texas. With reasonable care they seem adapted to 
a wide range of climatic conditions, and do well in the drier 
southwestern states and in Wisconsin and the colder, moister 
North. A dry climate, however, seems to offer the best condi- 
tion of health. At the present day Angora goats are found in 
nearly every state in the country, with very large flocks in New 
Mexico, Texas, Arizona, California, and Oregon. In 191 7 a 
total production of 10,000,000 pounds of mohair was estimated 
for Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, where this 
industry is mainly centered. 

The official promotion of the Angora goat is in the hands of the 
American Angora Goat Breeders' Association, with headquarters 
in Missouri. The association keeps the records of registration, but 
up to 19 19 had published no flock books. The Angora Journal 
and Milk Goat Bulletin, published in Oregon, also champions the 
breed. There is also a National Mohair Growers' Association, 
with headquarters in Texas and a warehouse in Boston, Massa- 
chusetts. This is organized as a marketing association. There is 
also a Canadian Goat Society, with headquarters at Ottawa, and 
also another at Vancouver, British Columbia. 



CHAPTER LXIV 

THE MILCH GOAT 

The goat as a source of milk supply has long held an important 
place as a producer, especially among the poorer people of the vari- 
ous countries of Europe. Travelers in Switzerland, Italy, France, 
and Spain are impressed with the large numbers of goats kept for 
milk production. Among common goats a yield of a quart a day 
is not uncommon. Some breeds are quite heavy producers. 

The characteristics of the milk of the goat are somewhat vari- 
able. Nubian goats and their half-breds tend to produce a milk 
richer in fat and with more total solids than have the Swiss breeds. 
It seems to be the case, also, that goat milk varies considerably in 
its composition among individuals of the same breed. Pegler gives 
the analysis of a crossbred prize-winning goat as follows ^ : casein, 
4.06 per cent; fat, 5.14; sugar, 5.28; salts, .58; total solids, 
15.06; water, 84.94 P^r cent. A Toggenburg goat one hundred 
and eighty-three days in milk showed 3.21 per cent fat, while 
an Anglo-Nubian six hundred and thirty-five days in milk tested 
7.48 per cent. In this connection it is to be noted that the 
Toggenburg was producing 9 pounds a day and the Nubian 
about 3I. The smaller the yield and the longer the goat has 
been in milk, the greater the per cent of fat. There are two 
special qualities in goat's milk that should make it popular, — 
one, the ease with which it is digested, and the other its 
immunity from tuberculosis germs. Its superior digestibility is 
attributed to the fact that the fat globules are much smaller 
than in cow's milk and are in a more perfect state of emulsion. 
Dr. Barbellion, a French medical authority, gives a somewhat 
different explanation. He states that the curd of cow's milk 
forms a dense, adhering mass, which by agitation separates into 
clots that are but slightly soluble, while the curd of goat's milk 
is soft, pliable, and very soluble, like the milk of the ass and 

H. S. H. Pegler, The Book of the Goat. London, 1910. 
673 



674 



SHEEP 



the human. When the udder is clean and the does are properly 
milked, the milk has no obnoxious flavor. 

Breeds or varieties of milk-producing goats are found in vari- 
ous countries, some of which have been especially bred for their 
value as milkers. The common goat of America and the Angora 
produce milk, but in small quantities, and there are no milking 




Fig. 316. El C'hivars Geneva 65, a Toggenburg doe in milking stand, owned by 

Winthrop Howland, Redlands, California. This doe produced 2124 pounds of 

milk in ten months in official testing at the University of California Agricultural 

Experiment Station. From photograph, by courtesy of Mr. Rowland 

families of these. The following are prominent breeds in milk pro- 
duction and are considered somewhat in their order of importance 
from an American or British viewpoint. 

The Toggenburg goat. This breed is raised more particularly 
in the Toggenburg valley in northeastern Switzerland, where it 
has been bred for centuries. This goat is a medium brown in color, 
with a white band passing along down each side of the face from 
eyes to mouth. The breed is rather slender and lean of body and 



THE MILCH GOAT 675 

neck. Horns may or may not occur, though it is regarded as a 
hornless breed. The ears are of moderate size and are usually 
carried somewhat erect. The males have a coarse beard and are 
rather more free of offensive odor than male goats of other breeds. 
The Toggenburg differs in character of coat of hair, some animals 
having a rough, long coat, others a short one, and still others one 




Fig. 317. Fanette 151, an imported Toggenburg doe in milking stand, owned by 

Winthrop Howland, Redlands, California. This doe in one season produced 

2680 pounds of milk, in one day yielding 1 2 pounds to ounces. From photograph, 

by courtesy of Mr. Howland 

of a medium character. The udder seems capable of great capacity. 
When full it is carried high between the legs and has two large, 
long teats. Many of these goats produce from four to five quarts 
of milk a day, while the best produce from five to six and even 
seven quarts. Winthrop Howland of California, one of the most 
noted American breeders, states in a pamphlet that " our pure 
Toggenburg does yield from three to six quarts of milk per day, 
and our three-quarters Toggenburg does yield from two to five 
quarts per_ day." At the California Station the doe El Chivars 
Geneva, owned by Mr. Howland, in three hundred and twelve 



6j6 SHEEP 

days produced 2158 pounds of milk testing 3,37 per cent fat, 
with a total content of 72.8 pounds fat.^ This remarkable yield 
was from a goat weighing about 108 pounds. Fanette 151, owned 
by Mr. Rowland, in one lactation period produced in twelve months 
2680 pounds of milk and 12 pounds 10 ounces in her best daily 
yield. This is a hardy breed and will do well under a wide range 
of conditions of latitude and elevation. 

The Saanen goat derives its name from the Saanen valley in 
Switzerland. It is the largest breed of that country, is lean and 
lank, is pure white or creamy white of color, and in general has 
short hair over the body excepting along the spine and at flanks 
and lower thighs. It also has a beard. Thompson says : 

The does are especially beautiful, with slim, long, graceful necks and clean, 
breedy-looking heads. The head of the buck is decidedly masculine, but does 
not have the serious look of the Toggenburger. The breast is well developed ; 
as a rule the udder is very pretty and is carried high. This is considered 
a hornless breed, but, as with the Toggenburger, occasionally one is found 
with horns. 

There are many fine milkers in this breed, though the average 
will not show to quite so good an advantage as the Toggenburg. 
Peer states that "the best of them are probably the best in the 
world, giving from five to six quarts per day of the very best 
quality." Thompson gives a statement of ten goats which made 
annual records ranging from 423 to 951 quarts. In 191 1, at the 
New York State Experiment Station at Geneva, the Saanen doe 
No. II produced 1845 pounds of milk.^ The two-year-old doe 
Swiss Echo 390, owned by J. S. Comins of Michigan, in a little 
less than eight months produced 2374 pounds of milk. 

The Maltese goat is especially bred on the island of Malta in 
the Mediterranean Sea. This island of 95 square miles supports 
a population of about 200,000 people, and nearly 30,000 goats 
and 900 cows are used in milk production. Describing this goat, 
Pegler says ^ : 

1 E. C. Voorhies, The Milch Goat in California. Btdleiin sS^, University of 
California Agricultural Experiment Station, September, 1917. 

2 Goat's Milk for Infant Feeding. Bulletin 42g, New York Agricultural Ex- 
periment Station, February, 1917. 

3 The Book of the Goat, 1910. 



THE MILCH GOAT 



^n 



As with most breeds, the color varies considerably from white or grey to 
black, whilst some are spotted. Those I have kept or seen have been gener- 
ally either greyish-white or reddish-brown. Their breed is regarded as prac- 
tically hornless, but it is not absolutely so, as a few of those in Malta are 
horned. The ears vary somewhat in regard to their position. Some are carried 
horizontally, whilst others are what we should call semi-pendulous, and a few 
completely so, these being extra long and with a slight outward curl at the 
extremities, showing more or less of the Syrian, from which this breed is 
supposed by some to have originated, in part at least. The facial outline is 
straight, the head long 
and narrow and free from 
beard, this last being a 
noticeable and special 
feature of the Maltese, 
imparting to the female 
a more feminine appear- 
ance than with some 
breeds. When horns are 
present, which is un- 
doubtedly a defect, they 
are small and curl back 
over the head. The udder 
of the Maltese is a long, 
narrow bag, with large, 
unshapely teats like little 
udders themselves, its 
color, like that of the 
skin generally, being of 
a peculiar orange red. 




Fig. 318. Prince Bismark 159, a noted Toggenburg 
buck owned by Winthrop Howland, Redlands, Cali- 
fornia. This buck weighs 203 pounds. From photo- 
graph, by courtesy of Mr. Howland 



This is highly re- 
garded as a milk- 
producing breed, the 
better individuals producing from three to four quarts a day. 

In the summer of 1905 the late Professor G. F. Thompson went 
to Malta for the United States Department of Agriculture and 
imported sixty-eight of these goats, but they developed Maltese 
fever, and the importation was quarantined and proved a failure. 
Thus far the breed is essentially unknown in America. 

The Nubian goat is found in Nubia, Upper Egypt, Abyssinia, 
and also in South Africa. It is very large and has long legs. The 
head is of striking appearance, being almost always hornless, and 
has a remarkable Roman face with depressed nostrils. The lower 



678 



SHEEP 



jaw extends beyond the upper, showing the teeth. The ears are 
frequently very large, long, and droopy, or they may be short and 
pointed. The color is very bright brown or black. The hair is 
short on some specimens and long on others. The udder is large 
and the lobes are deeply divided, with very good-sized teats. This 
is one of the highest types of milch goats, is credited with as 
much as ten to twelve quarts of milk a day, and is said to rarely 

give less than four quarts 
per day. This breed has 
been crossed on other goats 
to special advantage, Nu- 
bian goats are very docile. 
They lack hardiness, be- 
ing quite unable to with- 
stand cold. 

The Anglo-Nubian goat 
orginated from crossing 
the prick-eared common 
English goat with the lop- 
eared Nubian. Crossbred 
goats of this ancestry were 
shown in England as far 
back as 1875, at the first 
goat show held at the Crys- 
tal Palace, and since then 
it has been continuously 
before the British public. 
Pegler regards it as a dis- 
tinct breed. Thompson, however, gives it a very incidental refer- 
ence. Pegler specifies the following as points of an Anglo-Nubian : 

Coat short throughout, with no fringe of long hair on the back or long 
tufts on the flanks ; color preferably black and tan, or reddish-brown, with or 
without black or black-and-white markings, but free from white streaks on the 
sides of the face, which would indicate Swiss blood. The horns, if any, should 
be small and curve downwards and outwards, rather than directly upwards. 
The cars must be long, wide, and pendulous, or semi-pendulous, but not broken 
or twisted. The facial line should be somewhat arched, the head neat, with a 
slight taper toward the muzzle, which is small, and in the female without 
beard. The eye should be large and full, and the forehead wide. 




Fig. 319. Phyllis, an imported Toggenburg 

doe showing a very great development of 

the udder. From photograph, by courtesy of 

Professor F. K. Cooke, Winnetka, Illinois 



THE MILCH GOAT 679 

Anglo-Nubians produce a milk richer in fat than the Swiss 
breeds, although the yield is not so great. This is one of the 
largest and strongest breeds and is well suited for draft purposes 
for children. Anglo-Nubians are bred in the United States. 

The Schwarzhal goat is especially found in the Canton Valais, 
Switzerland, and in the Rhone valley. It is also known as the 
Glacier and the Saddle goat. This is a rather large breed of 




Fig. 320. Marina, an imported Saanen doe owned by Professor F. K. Cooke, 
Winnetka, Illinois. From photograph, by courtesy of the owner 

striking appearance, with widespreading horns, a large and very 
thick beard, and a tuft of long hair on the forehead. The front 
part of the body to back of the shoulders is black, while the 
balance of the body is white. The legs are slender ; the front 
hoofs are black and the hind ones yellow. This is an extremely 
hardy breed, perhaps the toughest of any. It does not yield as 
heavily of milk as some other breeds. Another Swiss goat, the 
Schwarzwald, has a very similar name, but the breed is quite 
different from the Schwarzhal and has only a local reputation, be- 
ing one of the sixteen breeds, according to Professor Anderegg, 
that are found in Switzerland. 



68o 



SHEEP 



The weight of milch goats varies considerably. Voorhies states ^ 
that mature Toggenburg bucks weigh from no to 140 pounds 
and the does from 100 to 140 pounds, while Saanen bucks weigh 
from 175 to 200 pounds and the does from no to 140 pounds. 
In England, according to "" Home Counties," ^ the heaviest weights 
of goats published have been 1 70 pounds for a six-year-old Anglo- 
Nubian nanny and 195 pounds for a billy of the same breed. 
The size is not regarded as of prime importance. T. F. Jager, in 
submitting standards of both Toggenburgs and Saanens for criti- 
cism in a report on the first American milch-goat show, held in 
Rochester, New York, in 191 3, suggests 130 to 180 pounds for 

Toggenburg bucks and 
80 to no pounds for 
the does, and 140 to 
1 80 pounds for Saanen 
bucks and 100 to 150 
pounds for the does. 
The age attained by- 
milch goats naturally 
varies. They have been 
known to live to be 
sixteen years old, but 
will probably attain to 
ten or twelve years of age with reasonable care. The doe is in 
her prime at from five to seven years of age. 

The cost of producing goat's milk is a subject of interest to 
many people who desire to keep this animal if the expense is not 
too great. In extensive experimental feeding at the New York 
Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva, the average cost of 
the food per month varied from 48 to 99 cents, while the average 
cost of the food for a year was $1 1.05, a daily expense of 3 cents. 
The food cost of the milk for a period of three years was 
3.4 cents per quart, while the lowest cost was for the Saanen 
goat No. II, of 1.27 cents per quart. During the same period 
of time the average cost of a quart of milk that was produced 

^ BiclL'tin 28^, University of California Agricultural Experiment Station, 
September, 1917. 

2 The Case for the Goat, London, 1908. 




Fig. 321. A pair of fine young Saanen goats. From 

photograph by the author, taken at Interlaken, 

Switzerland 



THE MILCH GOAT 



68 1 



by the 25 Jerseys in the Station herd was .92 cent. At the 
California Experiment Station at Davis the cost of feed per year 
averaged $11.25, the cost of a gallon of milk 6.4 cents, and a 
pound of butter fat 22.9 cents, while the cost for milk from the 
cows in the herd was 8.3 cents per gallon, and a pound of butter 
fat 24.4 cents. It is to be noted in the above records that a 
charge at its market value was made for all food eaten, but there 
are various conditions where people may keep goats at nominal 
expense for feeds, making use of by-products about the place. 




Fig. 322. Milking the goat in Switzerland. This doe shows the characteristic 
features of the Schwarzhal, though probably not pure bred. Reproduced from 

a Swiss postal card 



Importations of milch goats to America began in 1893, when 
Mr. W. A. Shafor of Ohio brought to this country 4 Toggenburg 
goats which he purchased in England. In May, 1904, Mr. F. S. 
Peer of New York imported 16 Toggenburg and 10 Saanen 
goats to this country for Messrs. W. J. Cohill of Maryland, 
R. N. Riddle of New Jersey, W. M. Decker of New York, and 
S. K. Bayley of Massachusetts. Mr. Cohill also secured 2 goats 
from Carl Hagenback at the World's Fair, St. Louis, in 1904, 
that Hagenback had brought from the Black Forest of Germany, 
These are supposed to be Schwarzwald goats. In 1905 Professor 
Thompson imported 68 Maltese goats, as noted on page Gyy. 



682 SHEEP 

The prices for milch goats are quite variable. Common Ameri- 
can goats of no milking strains sell at nominal figures. Since the 
World War, prices have naturally become stimulated in Europe 
because the goat herds of Europe suffered terrible destruction. 
Prior to the war the best milkers in Switzerland sold for about 
^25. In England prices for milch goats have long ruled quite high. 
In 19 1 7 Mr. Howland priced his pure Toggenburg bucks, in a cir- 
cular, at $75 to $100, and the does at the same price, while three- 
quarter blood does were listed at $30 to $35. Many goats have 
been advertised in recent years at prices ranging from $25 to $50. 

The fecundity of the milch goat. Does usually drop two kids 
at one time, and occasionally three. It is stated by Thompson 
that there is a record of a Nubian goat which dropped eleven 
kids within twelve months. The pregnancy period is five months. 

The period of lactation of the goat varies according to the 
breeding and care. The common goat of this country produces 
milk from three to five months. In Europe, with the distinctly 
milking breeds, the period is more extended. There the plan is 
to have one doe come fresh in the spring and milk for about six 
months (where two are used in the family), having the other kid 
in the fall. This provides a supply of milk for the entire year. 

The official promotion of the milch goat was first attempted in 
America by the organization on November 12, 1903, of the 
American Milch Goat Record Association. This association has 
published, up to 19 19, two flock books, including the registration 
of 1 800 goats. A goat of any breed, native or foreign, which gives 
two or more quarts of milk per day when fresh, according to the 
rules of the association, may be registered in the grade record. 
A goat from pure-bred registered sire and dam is eligible to 
registry in the pure-bred record. An imported goat of any 
recognized pure-milk breed is eligible to registry in the pure-bred 
record. In May, 191 3, the Western New York Milch Goat 
Breeders' Association was organized at Rochester, but in September 
the association took on a wider scope and changed its name to 
that of The Standard Milch Goat Breeders' Club of North 
America. There is also an International Nubian Breeders' 
Association, with headquarters in New Jersey. Several journals 
are devoted to promoting milch goats. 



PART IV — SWINE 

CHAPTER LXV 
THE AMERICAN, OR LARD, TYPE OF PIG 

The type of swine most valued in the United States possesses 
great compactness of form, breadth of back, fuHness of ham, 
shortness of hmb, and is capable of fattening rapidly and matur- 
ing early. It is a type that in its highest-fed and most popular 
form contains a large amount of fat, especially in leaf lard and 
external covering. It represents the extreme development of 
meat production and, as ordinarily corn fed in the states, is not 
looked upon with favor by people of other countries. It is com- 
monly referred to as the lard t)'pe of pig, from its natural heavy- 
fat production. In this connection it may be said that while this 
type is quite generally popular, the character and degree of flesh- 
ing is materially influenced by the sort of food fed. Even those 
breeds recognized as of the bacon type, kept and fed under the 
conditions of the corn belt, undergo a gradual evolution toward 
the type most popular in this country, losing to some extent the 
bacon-producing attributes. In connection with a consideration of 
this type it is to be borne in mind that the fattest specimens do 
not represent the best pigs. A pig may easily be made overfat. 
It would be in the interests of swine in general if judges at 
shows deprecated and turned down excessively fat animals and 
placed suitable emphasis on breeding stock or fat stock according 
to its purpose and merit. 

The general appearance of the pig should be markedly compact 
and thick, involving shortness of head, broad back, strong hams, 
deep body, short legs, and plenty of quality, as shown in abun- 
dance and fineness of hair and strong bone and joints. The 
temperament should be mild yet active, for the disposition has 
much to do with determining whether the animal is a desirable 



684 



SWINE 



breeder or feeder. Sise or weight has a bearing on the market 
price, and pigs of this type, well fattened, weigh heavy for their 
age. As a rule the tendency of the breeders is to produce stock 
of large size, and " big type " is a common expression used 
among those promoting the leading breeds. A popular weight 
for nonbreeding stock on the market is about 225 pounds, which 
is not far from the average weight of the pig sold on the 
more important markets in the Mississippi Valley states. 




P"iG. 323. A typical example of a lard type of hog, showing the short head, wide 

back, thick hams, deep body, and short legs. From photograph, by courtesy of 

the National Stockman and Fanner 



The head should be comparatively short and wide in the fore- 
head, without great length of snout. A very short snout is 
associated with the smaller sort of pigs, so that a medium length 
may not be regarded as undesirable. The end of the snout also 
should not be too pointed, but should be wide and strong. The 
space between the eyes should be wide and in fair proportion 
with the rest of the head. A prominent, clean eye is important, 
and excessive fat about the eyes is quite undesirable. 

The ears should be placed well on the head, be neatly attached, 
and show refinement in quality of hair and texture. A large ear 
is undesirable, one of medium size and neatly pointed being pre- 
ferred. A smooth, round yV^Ti'/, full and firm, yet not heavily fat 



THE AMERICAN, OR LARD, TYPE OF PIG 685 

and flabby, is desirable. Wrinkles or seams on any part of the 
head are distinctly objectionable, as set forth on page 687, 

The 7ieck should not be long, but rather broad and short, with 
a smooth blending at head and shoulder. The tendency is toward 
a narrow neck on top ; too much width or depth does not 
often occur. 

The breast and cJicst indicate constitution. When the breast 
is wide and deep, the breast bone carried well forward, and the 
curve about the chest good and strong both above and below, 
plenty of room for the heart and lungs is shown. A narrow 
chest is inconsistent with vigorous development and good feeding 
qualities. 

The shoulders should fit smoothly back into the body, showing 
no roughness or openness at the top. A smooth, broad, evenly 
fleshed shoulder on the fat pig is most desirable from the market 
point of view. The mature boar will show some thickness and 
heaviness of skin here at the " shields," — those parts inherited 
from the wild boar as a protection in fighting. It is objectionable, 
however, even with the boar, to have notable thickness of shoulder, 
as this is quite liable to be transmitted. 

The/n?;// legs should show good position, superior bone, and 
shortness. Standing in natural position, viewed from in front, the 
legs should stand just under the shoulders, the knees straight, 
the toes directing forward, the entire position indicating easy 
posture. Pigs of narrow heart girth usually stand with the knees 
close together and are what is sometimes termed " knock-kneed." 
Viewed from one side the leg should come down true and 
plumb from the center of the shoulder, standing strong on the 
toes, with pasterns fairly erect and dew claws (the rudimentary 
toes on back of leg) well above the foot surface. A strong, well- 
sustained pastern is important. If the foot is weak and the 
pasterns badly depressed, the animal supports its weight poorly, 
A clean, smooth, hard bone, with strong yet not coarse joints, 
represents the better leg development. Too fine and small a 
bone is often seen with pigs when they really should have 
a heavier bone to support the weight properly. 

The back and loin of the American type of pig in most favor 
is of medium length, has a strong arch from front to rear, the 



686 SWINE 

ribs are well sprung, and the loin is broad and thick. In the case 
of breeding stock the back may not appear wide, although feeding 
would soon give it considerable breadth. The width should be 
carried the entire length from shoulders to hips, offering excellent 
room for covering. As one views the back from front or rear, 
the width should be carried uniformly. A heaviness of front and 
lightness behind is not in good form, indicating heaviness of 
shoulder and lightness of loin. A view of the back from the 
side should show it somewhat arched and strongly carried. A 
droop of the back or a falling away behind the shoulders is quite 
common — evidences of a weak back and lack of constitution. 

The Jiips, rump, and Jiam involve the higlicst-priced meat on 
the modern porker. The Jiips should be neatly placed and not 
prominent, and should be smoothly covered with flesh. The 
rump has a tendency to be droopy, with the tail set low, although 
good form calls for a long, broad, somewhat level rump, thick- 
fieshed, with the tail neatly attached fairly well up. Below the 
rump the hams carry down fairly straight behind or with some 
outward curve, then rounding into the lower thigh and twist 
above the hocks. A high-class ham viewed from behind is 
notably thick, with considerable depth from the tail to the point 
where the hams join low down at the twist. From the side the 
relative length is long from the hip point to the lower corner of 
the ham, while considerable side breadth shows, with a strong, 
well-turned lower thigh and hock joint. 

The Jiind legs in natural position should have strong hocks, 
wide and muscular, yet not fat, standing well apart when viewed 
from the rear, so that the legs appear quite plumb from that 
point. Viewed from the side, the hocks should seem deep and 
the legs below carried down straight, with the pig standing strong 
on the toes. All the features of quality, bone, and strength of 
position desirable in the front legs are equally desirable in the 
hind ones. 

The sides from shoulder to hind flank and ham require a 
long, well-arched rib. This gives a body of ample digestive or 
breeding capacity. Not only should the sides be deep, but the 
lower part of the body in good formation will be wide, thus 
preserving a straight line from front to hind flank. Such a 



THE AMERICAN, OR LARD, TYPE OF PIG 687 

body as this, full and thick at the flanks, is associated with 
the animal of easy fattening tendency. 

The fleshing and fattening quality of the pig is most important. 
If an animal is well fleshed the back and loin, sides, shoulders, 
rump, and hams will be uniformly covered with meat which will 
feel mellow yet firm and not harsh and hard to the touch of the 
hand. When fattened, the condition should be one of smoothness, 
with uniformity and depth of covering, and firmness of touch. 
The skin will be free of roughness or scurviness, and wrinkles 
will be quite lacking. This smoothness of covering is equally 
essential with the breeding or fat pig. Creases or seams are 
most common about the head, jowl, shoulders, and sides, and 
interfere with high-grade work in dressing the carcass at slaughter. 
In the modern packing-house the pig's carcass, after scalding, is 
scraped by mechanical device, and seams on the body necessitate 
more handwork to follow the automatic scraping, which naturally 
adds to the cost of preparing the carcass. In recent years much 
emphasis has been laid on the importance of smoothness and 
quality with pigs of all breeds.' 

The hair of the pig indicates quality, A reasonable degree of 
fineness is desirable, this being associated with animals that dress 
out well in killing. Large, coarse bristles go with heavy joints 
and much bone and offal. Curly hair is often seen on the pig, 
but straight coats are popular, while curly ones are not. The 
hair should not only be of good quality but also of a fair degree 
of abundance. Boars generally have heavier, stronger hair than 
sows, and it is much coarser and longer over the upper part of 
the spine than elsewhere. This is very marked in the wild boar. 

The temperament of the lard type of pig is usually quiet and docile. 
Among individuals of the same breed those which flesh up most 
readily and respond best to feeding are those of the most quiet 
temperament. Even though a quiet temperament and good dis- 
position are highly desirable, it is important that the pig be 
lively and active, ready to forage if necessary, and by its habits 
promoting vigor and health. It is doubtless true also that the 
American breeds of swine differ to some extent in disposition 
and easy-feeding quality. The Poland-China, for example, is 
notable for its quiet and phlegmatic habits. As feeding progresses 



6SS SWINE 

and the animal enters the fat stage, there is a natural tendency 
to become sluggish and sleep a great deal. This results in lack 
of vigor and strength afoot. To avoid this, persons who fit hogs 
for the show ring compel the animals to exercise to a certain 
extent each day for some time prior to and during the show 
season. Some breeds, however, notably those of the bacon type, 
being of a more active temperament do not require special exercise. 
The color of the pig is usually regarded as of secondary impor- 
tance, excepting as an evidence of purity of breeding or trueness 
to type. The color with some breeds, as the Chester White, 
Jersey Red, Large Black, and Large White, is made apparent to 
the uninitiated by the name. In recent years color has become 
more and more a fad, so that breeders are not satisfied with 
irregularities in this respect. Color also has its relationship to 
climatic conditions. In warm, moist climates, white is an unpopu- 
lar color for swine, associated as it often is with scurviness or sun 
scald. For that reason black or red pigs receive the preference 
under such climatic conditions. In the tropics the dark skin 
absorbs heat from the air more rapidly than does the white. 
The heat also radiates more quickly from the dark skin than the 
white, during which process a black animal cools off sooner than 
a white one. 



CHAPTER LXVI 

THE BERKSHIRE 

The native home of the Berkshire pig is in south-central England, 
and more especially the counties of Berks and Wilts. The 
neighboring counties of Leicester and Stafford also have been 
prominently associated with Berkshire history. The climate of 
this section of England is mildly temperate. The soil tends to 
be a clay loam and is cold and retentive. The standard crops of 
this section are the small grains, roots, and the grasses. Beautiful 
pastures are found in Berkshire, where there are lands that have 
not been plowed within the memory of man. 

The foundation of the Berkshire breed is veiled in obscurity. In 
1767 "A Country Gentleman " wrote ^ as follows of English swine: 

There are three sorts of swine commonly bred in England ; the first I shall 
mention is the large Herefordshire, or as some would have it, Lincolnshire 
breed, which is the quickest grower, and ripens to the greatest size of any we 
know with us. . . . Another sort, which is famous here, is called bv some the 
Bantam breed, or the Guinea breed, or the African hog, or the black French 
hog. . . . But the sort of swine most frequent in England, requiring the least 
care, and bringing the most profit, are the cross kind, bred between the two 
foregoing sorts. 

No information of a descriptive nature in this work offers any 
evidence of the existence at that time of what might be termed 
a Berkshire breed. In 1789 George Culley, a noted English 
stockman, wrote in an (jf ten-quoted book ^ : 

The most numerous breed of hogs in this island is that excellent kind 
generally known by the name of the Berkshire pigs, now spread through 
almost every part of England and some places of Scotland. They are in 
general reddish brown, with black spots upon them, large ears hanging over 
their eyes, short-legged, small-boned, and exceedingly inclined to make 
readily fat. 

^ The Complete Grazier (second edition), London. 
^ Observation on Live Stock (second edition), Dublin. 
6S9 



690 



SWINE 



He also testifies to the large weight of the breed and mentions 
one referred to by Young weighing over 1 1 30 pounds, and to 
another still larger. Laurence, in 1790, agrees with CuUey 
excepting in bone, which he states was large, while he also adds 
that the muzzle turned up. 

The first improvement of the native Berkshire pig was due to 
the use of Siamese or Chinese and Neapolitan blood. The 
habitat and some of the more characteristic features of these 
so-called breeds are described as follows by Low ^ and Youatt.^ 




I'':i;. T,2.\. M>isici"i)iL-c(.- 77000. scmiul-pri/c Ik'ikshiii,- l>n,u ,11 iIk- l-nuisiana 

Purchase Exposition, 1904. Sold by A. J. Lovejoy & Son, Roscoe, Illinois, to 

W. S. Corsa of Illinois for $2500. One of the greatest Berkshire sires. From 

photograph, by courtesy of Professor William Dietrich 

The Siamese. Native to southeastern Asia, especially Siam, 
Cochin China, Cambodia, Malacca, and Burma, where hogs have 
long been domesticated. The name " Siamese breed," therefore, 
applies to extensive territory, including much more than Siam. 
Low states that the individuals are of small size, with cylindrical 
body, back somewhat hollow, and belly trailing near the ground 
in consequence of the shortness of limbs. The bristles are soft, 
approaching hair in character. The color is usually black, and 
the skin a rich copper tint. The ears are short, small, and some- 
what erect. The Siamese pigs are less hardy and prolific than 

^ 1 )avid I >ow, P>rccds of the Domestic Animals of the 1 Iritish Islands. London, 1842. 
2 William \'ouatt, The Pig. Philadelphia, 1S47. 



THE BERKSHIRE 691 

the native races of Europe. They mature early and fatten on a 
small amount of feed, and their flesh is white and delicate. Late 
in the eighteenth and early in the nineteenth century English 
and American writers frequently referred to Chinese swine, and 
these varied — some being white, others black ; and some were 
known as Big China and others as just China or Chinese. In 
Great Britain the prevailing color was black, while in America 
China hogs were frequently white. It is presumable that there 
was more or less confusion in the use of the name and that 
Siamese and Chinese may mean one and the same thing. The 
important point, however, is that these pigs were fine of quality 
and fattened easily, making most desirable stock to cross with 
the coarse British hogs. 

The Neapolitan. Writing in 1842, Low states : 

At the present time a breed from the country near Naples has been intro- 
duced and has been employed very extensively to cross other breeds. This 
breed is of small size and of a black color. It is nearly destitute of hair or 
bristles, but on being bred several times in their country, the bristles come. 
The flesh is exceedingly good, but the animals themselves are destitute of 
hardiness, and unsuited for general use. But they have been made to cross 
the other swine of the country, and the progeny exhibit much fineness of form 
and aptitude to fatten. Their flesh, too, is delicate, on which account the 
Neapolitan crosses are at the present time in considerable favor in several 
parts of England. 

Thus, in the days when British shipping was bringing in hogs 
from Siam or China and from Italy, they were crossed upon the 
hogs of Berkshire, thus lessening them in size, reducing coarse- 
ness, and producing a finer quality of pork. 

The older Berkshire type is of special interest to present-day 
students when we consider the typical Berkshire of to-day. The 
two leading early authorities describing this early type are Low 
and Youatt. Writing in 1840, in his great edition de luxe, of 
the " Breeds of the Domestic Animals of the British Islands," 
Low says : 

The true Berkshires are of the larger races of swine, though they fall short 
in size of some of the older breeds, as the Hampshire, the Rudgwick, and 
others. They are usually of a reddish brown color, with brown or black spots, 
a character which makes it appear that one of the means employed to improve 
them was a cross with the wild boar. The Berkshire has long been regarded 



692 SWINE 

as one of the superior breeds of England, combining size with sufficient apti- 
tude to fatten, and being fitted for pork and bacon. It has been regarded also 
as the hardiest of the more improved breeds. The Berkshire breed has, like 
every other, been crossed and recrossed with the Chinese or Chinese crosses, 
so as to lessen the size of the animal, and render them more suited to the 
demand which has arisen for small and delicate pork. Many of the modern 
breed are nearly black, indicating their approach to the Siamese character, and 
sometimes they are black broken with white, showing the effects of the cross 
with the White Chinese. From this intermixture, it becomes in many cases 
difficult to recognize in the present race the characters of the true Berkshire. 



Fig. 325. Epochal 232232 (imp.), a Berkshire boar owned by the Gossard Breed- 
ing Estates, Martinsville, Indiana. Epochal has been widely advertised as a great 
sire, and his progeny have commanded large prices. From photograph, by courtesy 
of the Gossard Estates 

Youatt, writing about this same time,^ says that they were sandy 
or whitish brown, spotted regularly with dark brown or black. 
The body was free of bristles and was covered with long, thin, 
and somewhat curly hair. The ears were erect and fringed with 
long hair, the head and snout were short, the body thick and com- 
pact, the legs short, the skin thin, the flesh of good flavor, and 
the bacon superior. At this time the breed was regarded as one 
of the best in England, due to early maturity, easy fattening, 

1 The Pig. 1S47. 



THE BERKSHIRE 693 

small bone, hardiness, and the prolificacy of the females. Yet, 
according to various authorities, there must have been wide 
extremes in color, size, and type of the Berkshire in these forma- 
tive days. In 1897 Sanders Spencer, in commenting on changes 
in swine, due to the breeder's art, wrote : ^ " Take, for example, 
the style, character, formation, and color of a Berkshire pig, which 
was considered to be of correct type some forty years ago ; it bears 
but the very slightest resemblance in color, form, and character to 
the Berkshire pig of the present day." No one w^as better qualified 
to express this opinion than Mr. Spencer. 

Important early British improvers of the Berkshire were 
Richard Astley of Oldstonehall, whom Low notes as the great 
improver of the breed, and Lord Barrington, who died in 1829. 
In i860, Sidney, a noted authority on swine, wrote that Lord Bar- 
rington did a great deal toward improving the Berkshire breed, 
the improved stock of that time nearly all tracing back to his herd. 
The methods of these two breeders, however, have not been given 
publicity, and very little is known concerning them. About the 
middle of the nineteenth century William Hewer of Sevenhamp- 
ton, Wiltshire, was a noted breeder and improver. Closely follow- 
ing him came Russell Swanwick of the Royal Agricultural College 
at Cirencester and Heber Humfrey of Abingdon, both of whom 
did much for the breed in England, 

The introduction of the Berkshire pig to America took place 
in 1823, according to A. B. Allen, who credits John Brentnall, 
an English farmer, who settled in the English neighborhood 
in New Jersey, with this importation. In 1832 Sidney Hawes, 
another English farmer, brought some Berkshires to America and 
settled near Albany, New York. Allen states that he owned pigs 
descended from each of these importations. In 1835 Munson 
Beach of Butler County, Ohio, purchased from New York the 
Berkshire boar Dick Johnson and the old sow Superior. These 
two individuals did much to establish the Berkshire in Ohio, Ken- 
tucky, Illinois, and Missouri. In 1839 Messrs. Bagg and Wait, 
English farmers who had settled in Orange County, New York, 
made a large importation, which they followed by still others. 
In 1 84 1 A. B. Allen of New York, after visiting England and 

1 The Pig : Breeds and Management. 



694 



SWINE 



carefully examining the herds of that country, imported over 
forty head. Later Allen imported more Berkshires and became 
a prominent promoter of the breed. 

Characteristics of the Berkshire pig. The face of the Berk- 
shire should be of medium length and gracefully dished ; exces- 
sive dish is undesirable, as is a very short head, these two features 
as a rule being associated with the smaller, less growthy type of 
pig. The cars in the immature animal should be set wide apart and 
carried strongly erect or point slightly forward ; with age the ear 

frequently leans for- 
ward, but should never 
lop over the eyes. The 
typical Berkshire back 
is not so wide as Poland 
China or Chester 
White, but is of good 
breadth and carried 
with a slight arch. The 
body shows consider- 
able length and depth 
of side and is deep and 
full at the front and 
hind flanks. The riimp 
should be rather long, 
level, and wide, with 
the tail set high. In 
the approved type the entire back outline shows less arch than 
is characteristic of some of the other breeds. The jcnvl tends to 
be only moderately full, the shoulders of medium thickness and 
breadth, and the hams rather deep and full to the hocks, yet not 
notably thick and round, like a Poland China. The legs should be 
fairly short ; individuals are frequently too leggy. The bone is of 
fair quality, and Berkshires stand moderately well on their feet. 

The color of the Berkshire has already been given, as relates to 
the formative period of the breed. At the present time and in 
fact for many years the characteristic color of the body has been 
black. This has been illuminated by "' six white points," the hair 
of the face, tail, and lower legs being more or less white. White 




Fig. 326. Sensational Masterpiece 135260, one of 
the great sons of Masterpiece 77000. Owned by 
H. V. Shulters, Mentor, Oliio. This shows a great 
boar in thin flesh on pasture. From photograph 
by the author 



THE BERKSHIRE 



695 



frequently occurs also on the jowl or on the front arm or at the 
armpit, by the shoulder. This color need not occur in any exact 
degree, and if a white spot occur on the body elsewhere, there is 
no clause to disqualify in the " American Berkshire Herdbook," 
The color markings of English show Berkshires were studied by 




Fig. 327. Princess Bernice 8th 1 12969, at one time owned by Sheffield farm, 

Glendale, Ohio. This was a very fine sow, yet with irregular white markings, as 

may be seen. From photograph by the author 

Heber Humfrey some years ago at the Royal Show at Windsor. 
Quoting from Mr. Humfrey's report : 

We examined every Berkshire in the show. Taking them at all ages, there 
were 139 animals. We took the generally accepted standard of "four white 
feet, white tip of tail, more or less white in face, and a little or not, as the 
case may be, under the jowl, on the point of the elbow, or inside the ear," and 
we found on looking through our notes that we had marked 1 1 9 down as 
within the limits of this standard. Only half a dozen were described as having 
serious defects in the marking ; the remaining 1 4 had only a single small spot, 
generally on the shoulder or between the ears ; one or two were on the sides, 
but several of them not large enough to attract notice if we had not been look- 
ing for them. Out of the half dozen which we thought might be ruled out of 
competition, only one had a second objection : this was a spot on the front 
and another on the back of the ham ; the second had a large sandy and white 
spot on the bottom of the shoulder ; a third had a black foot ; Nos. 4 and 5 
had black tails, and the 6th a white ear. 



696 SWINE 

Occasionally pure-bred Berkshires are found in the herd that arc 
irregular in color or markings. The author has seen a number of 
animals in service marked with white on the body where it is 
not expected to occur, and he has also seen on several occasions 
Berkshires with hair of a noticeable tint of red or copper color. 
This red tint in the hair is not an uncommon characteristic and 
is no doubt an inheritance from the early Berkshire parentage. 
In fact a breed of red Berkshires is credited to Kentucky, the red 
hair being a distinctive feature. If color is important in breed 
identification, then it should be reasonably uniform in character, 
and distinct irregularities should justify disqualification. In fact, in 
1893 the British Berkshire Society suggested that judges disqualify 
pigs notably irregular in markings or with black face or foot. 

The size of the Berkshire pig may by classed as medium to 
large. In 1842 Low wrote that "the true Berkshires are of the 
larger races of swine." In 1893 Professor Long wrote : 

Thirty years ago . . . some of Mr. Sadler's prize pigs under seven months 
old weighed 240 pounds each, although they were turned out into an orchard 
daily while fattening. The same gentleman exhibited, and won the first prize 
at Baker Street with a fat pig which weighed 856 pounds, the length of her 
body being 6 feet 4 inches and her girth 7 feet 6 inches. At that time, how- 
ever, the ordinary weight of a well-bred Berkshire bacon hog was, when ready 
for the butcher, about 50 stone of 8 pounds (400 pounds), but for the curing 
of the best hams these were generally considered a little too large. 

The Berkshire is sometimes advertised under the name '" Large 
English Berkshire," but in England only one Berkshire breed exists, 
and the title " Large English " is rather uncalled for and misleading. 
Young pigs at six months old should easily weigh 175 pounds 
and at one year about 300 pounds. The ordinary mature boar in 
breeding condition should weigh 500 pounds and sows 400 pounds. 
The British Berkshire Society gives the following as standard 
weights : ^ '" Berkshire sows at six months of age in ordinary 
growing condition, given proper exercise, weigh from 150 to 160 
pounds and boars from 160 to 170 pounds. Sows in breeding 
condition weigh from 400 to 500 pounds at one year of age and 
550 to 650 pounds when full grown. Boars one year old have 
been known to weigh 600 pounds in show condition." The latter 

1 Annual Report (1917), p. 11. 



THE BERKSHIRE 



697 



weights will impress many as quite extreme and rarely reached 
with one year's development. The following noted Berkshire 
boars have been credited with the weights given against their 
names: Longfellow 16835 at seventeen months, 726 pounds; 
Lord Premier 50001 at seven years, 890 pounds ; Lord Premier's 
Successor 161 500 weighed 1 000 pounds in show form ; Sensational 
Masterpiece 135260 in show form, 1000 pounds; Baron's Suc- 
cessor 197499, grand champion 19 16 International, 860 pounds; 
King Lee 27500 at ten months, 420 pounds; Longfellow's 
Double 209000 three 
hundred and sixty-five 
days old, 507 pounds. 
One of the special 
needs of the present 
day is that Berkshires 
at maturity should 
show plenty of size 
and quality. 

The Berkshire as a 
grazing pig ranks high 
wherever fairly tried. 
On the clover fields of 
the Middle West they 
thrive to perfection, 
while rape pasture in 
the more northerly sec- 
tions seems well suited 
to them. In general pasturage in America, Berkshires hold their own. 
Writing of the Berkshires as foragers. Walker states that they are 
hardly surpassed when grown in a temperate climate. He says : 

You may see herds of a score or two each, any year towards October, run- 
ning over the wide stubble fields on the borders of Wiltshire, nearly average 
pork, and yet they have made their growth and their flesh pretty much on 
waste material, that is, shed corn, weeds, roots, pasturage, and so on. 

The Berkshire as a feeder has a very creditable record. A 
number of American agricultural experiment stations have con- 
ducted feeding trials in which breed comparison was a feature. 
In twenty-three trials, involving 123 Berkshires fed at eight 




Fig. 32S. Grand Leader 2d 190377, by Superbus 
136000, grand-champion Berkshire boar at the 
Panama- Pacific Exposition, San Francisco, 191 5- 
A notable recent-day sire, bred by W. A. Corsa, 
Whitehall, Illinois. Owned and exhibited by A. B. 
Humphrey, Mayhews, California. From photograph, 
by courtesy of the Berkshire World 



698 SWINE 

institutions in the United States and Canada, it required 369 
pounds of feed for each 100 pounds of gain in hve weight, 
the Tamworth, Chester White, and Poland China surpassing the 
Berkshire in this respect. In breed tests at the Iowa Experiment 
Station the Berlvshire made an average daily gain of .98 pound, 
the Poland China ,90, and the Chester White .89 pound, the 
cost per 100 pounds' gain being $2.33, $2.23, and $2.46 
respectively. At the Ontario Agricultural College the average of 
trials for four years show almost identically the same daily gains, 
requiring a less amount of meal than any other breed ; that is, 
378 1 pounds for 100 pounds of gain. At the Massachusetts 
Experiment Station 7 Berkshires, fed one hundred and forty 
days, made an average daily gain of 1.16 pounds each, requiring 
289 pounds of feed for 100 pounds of gain. P'rom the records 
quoted above or published elsewhere it may be seen that the 
Berkshire as a feeder ranks well, though the average of breed 
trials do not give it first place. Among British authorities on 
swine Professor Long takes high rank, and in his " Book of the 
Pig" he writes of "its comparative slowness as a feeder" and 
says that it is generally found that a fast-feeding Berkshire has 
not only alien blood in its veins but that, when killed, it exhibits 
far too large a proportion of fat. At the International Live-Stock 
Exposition in past years most of the grand-champion carload lots 
of feeders have been pure-bred or high-grade Berkshires. 

The maturing qualities of the Berkshire are not of the first 
rank. Individual animals of the breed may attain ample size and 
mature early, but as a breed the Berkshire is secondary in the 
capacity to mature early and yet reach a satisfactory weight. 
Without question many persons have discontinued breeding 
Berkshires on account of slow maturity and lack of size. The 
most successful Berkshire breeders of to-day are those who have 
produced a large type of pig which matured with fair rapidity, 
making satisfactory comparison with other breeds. 

The adaptability of the Berkshire to a wide range of conditions 
is of the first class. The breed is found in sjDecial favor over 
much of the United States and Canada, irrespective of elevation 
or temperature. There are famous herds on the Atlantic and 
Pacific coasts, as well as in Canada and the gulf states of the 



THE BERKSHIRE 699 

South. Walker, however, in discussing the adaptability of the 
Berkshire to climate says : "As far as our own actual experience 
goes, Berkshires do not prove nearly so profitable in the north 
of England and in Scotland as in the south, and this harmo- 
nizes with our remark that they love warmth and a genial clime." 
In spite of this opinion it is doubtless true that no breed of 
swine is bred and fed under more varied climatic and other 
conditions with the success that is attained with the Berkshire. 




Fig. 329. Double's Duchess 5th 252585, first-prize junior yearling and champion 
Berkshire female at the 1918 International Live-Stock Exposition. Bred and 
shown by Hood Farm, Lowell, Massachusetts. From photograph, by courtesy of 

the Berkshire Wor/d 

The quality of Berkshire pork, viewed from the standpoint of 
the American market, is of the very best class. Fed in the same 
manner as the Poland-China, Chester White, and Duroc-Jersey, 
the Berkshire will show a class of meat with a larger percentage 
of lean than any of them. In feeding experiments conducted by 
the author at the Indiana Station, in a comparison of Berkshires 
and Poland-Chinas bearing on the influence of food on carcass, 
the larger percentage of lean to fat in the Berkshire was strik- 
ingly shown. The meat of this breed has a fine grain and, when 
not all corn fed, a desirable blending of fat and lean. In certain 
localities where select sausages are made Berkshire pork has been 



700 SWINE 

relied upon for securing superior quality. Where properly fed 
this breed makes a bacon pig of high class, and is so regarded 
in Great Britain, though it may not be the equal of the Large 
Yorkshire or Tamworth in this respect. 

In carcass contests at the International Live-Stock Exposition 
the Berkshire has won a high place. In 191 7 the Berkshire not 
only was awarded grand-champion carcass but won more carcass 
prizes than any other breed. In 19 16 the grand-champion carcass 
was a Berkshire. At the Smithfield Club shows in London, 
from 1904 to 1916 inclusive, Berkshire carcasses won all the 
championships, a remarkable showing. Not only this, but the 
first prizes in every class have been won every time by Berkshires, 
excepting on six occasions, and on two of these the winners were 
Berkshire crossbreds. 

The crossbred or grade Berkshire, where fair samples of pigs 
are used in breeding, merit high praise. A cross of Berkshire 
boar on Poland-China sows produces offspring that feed rapidly 
and sell well, the two breeds blending admirably. This cross 
gives more vigor and a better feeder. Also a cross of the 
Berkshire on the Chester White female is productive of a better 
feeder than the sire, with a class of pork superior to that of the 
dam. The great value of the Berkshire in crossing is amply 
demonstrated from the fact that the blood of the breed has been 
used to improve that of other breeds for over a century, and no 
doubt has done much to help the most prominent breeds of 
to-day in their early stages. Sidney states that Fisher Hobbs, 
who did much in improving British pigs, used the Berkshire as 
a cross on his Essex pigs, and thereby size and condition were 
materially affected. In fact, so strong was the Berkshire influence 
that some twenty-eight years after the cross was made some of 
the young Essex reverted to their alien ancestor and were, in 
reality, exact types of the true Berkshire pig. Mr. W. H. Wykes, 
an experienced breeder, according to Long, finds that the best 
crosses are made by the Berkshire on the Black Suffolk and the 
Tamworth. The value of the Berkshire boar in grading up a herd 
is unquestioned. Feeders of such blood always command the top 
price in America and are purchased by discriminating buyers who 
recognize the place the well-finished feeder has in the market. 



THE BERKSHIRE 



701 



The style and finish of the Berkshire, when well bred, are of 
the very best. The symmetrical outline, the shapely head and 
pricked-up ear, and the easy movement, so characteristic of 
the breed, add to its popularity. Persons not familiar with the 
breeds of swine are usually favorably impressed with the appearance 
of the Berkshire if well cared for and typical of the breed. 

The prolificacy of the Berkshire is of a fair degree of merit. 
An extensive studx- of the relative prohficacy of three breeds 




Fig. 330. A Berkshire sow and litter. Owned by Brookline Farm, Aurora, 
Illinois. From photograph, by courtesy of L. E. Troeger 



of swine (the Berkshire, Poland-China, and Chester White) by 
Dr. A, W. Bitting shows that the average size of 400 Berkshire 
litters was 8.22 pigs, while 600 Chester White litters averaged 
8.96 pigs and 1086 Poland-China litters averaged 7.45. These 
records were based on herdbook figures of sizes of litters. There 
are many large litters of Berkshire pigs, and litters of 10 are 
not uncommon. Walker states that about 7 or 8 at a farrow are 
reckoned an average family for even the older sows. William 
Ashcroft, a successful English breeder, is quoted by Professor 
Long as saying that the tendency to produce medium litters, 
of say 6 to 8, may be corrected by breeding less closely. " If 



702 SWINE 

unrelated stock pigs are used," says Ashcroft, "the litters will 
come pretty regularly twice a year and average about 8 to ii." 
There are numerous instances of large litters of Berkshires. 
Among these the following by a firm claiming to be the largest 
breeders of Berkshires in America is of interest : ^ 

We have a strain of sows we term High wood Columbias. Sows of this 
strain in our herd have farrowed during March, 191 2, as follows: one sow 
farrowed 10, the next one farrowed 14, the next 13. These latter two were 
yearlings. The next one farrowed 14, which makes just 130 pigs this sow has 
farrowed in ten consecutive litters ; another farrowed 9 and another 1 8. This 
last sow, farrowing 1 8, farrowed 1 5 her first litter, and she is a full sister of the 
sow that has farrowed 130 in ten litters. These sows have been selected and 
bred with this end in view, apparently with some success. 

The Berkshire ranks very well as a producer of good-sized litters, 
and this more especially applies in regions where corn is not the 
important feature of the diet. 

The prepotency of the Berkshire is of the first class. Being 
one of the oldest breeds, long bred with care, its prepotency has 
become well established. Compared with breeds of swine of 
American origin, this undoubtedly is more prepotent. When 
Berkshire males are used in crossing or grading, the dominant 
characteristics of the breed are reproduced with much uniformity. 

Important Berkshire families. Among those especially worthy 
of note are the following : Duchess, of which Royal Duchess 
900, by Othello 259, is the founder; Sallic, descended from 
Sallie I, by Duke of Gloucester I ; Charmer, descended from 
Royal Charmer 9082, by Exor 3891 ; Lee, descended from Minnie 
Lee 14606, by Exor 3891 ; Nora, descended from Nora B. 14052, 
by Liverpool Bob 104 17 ; Artful Belle, descended from Artful 
Belle 24th 50023, by Baron Lee 4th 33446. Most of these 
foundation sows date back many years, and so we have subfamilies, 
offshoots from the above, that are more or less prominent. 

Famous Berkshire boars in the history of the breed in America 
make up an extended list. Among those prominent mainly for 
their influence on the breed are Othello 259, Lord Liverpool 221, 
Charmer's Duke 13360, Longfellow 16835, Baron Lee IV 33446, 
Lord Premier 50001, Governor Lee 47971, Combination 56028, 

J n. C. and H. B. Ilarpending in Xatiotial Stocktiian and Fanner, May 2, 1912. 



THE BERKSHIRE 



703 



Royal Windsor 22889, Model Duke 17397, Columbia's Duke 
33855, Masterpiece 77000, Lord Premier's Successor 161 500, 
Superbus 136000, Grand Leader 2d 190377, and Epochal 232232. 
Of the above Longfellow had far more influence on the breed 
than any other sire. Masterpiece also was one of the most 
famous of Berkshire sires. In recent years the breeding of 
Epochal has received much attention and special advertising. 

High prices for 
Berkshire pigs. In 
1889 N. H. Gentry 
sold the yearling boar 
Model Duke 17397 at 
private sale to Andrew 
Smith of California for 
$750. Mr. Gentry paid 
$yoo for Lord Liver- 
pool 221 in England. 
In the seventies Robin 
Hood 801 was sold by 
T. S. Cooper of Penn- 
sylvania for $1400. In 
1903 Mr. Gentry sold 
Lord Premier 50001 
to G, C. Council for 
^1500. This boar died 
in 1905, after which 
Mr. Council bought 

Premier Longfellow 68600 of Mr. Gentr}' for $2000. The grand- 
champion sow of the breed at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, 
Duchess 279th 75009, was sold for $2000 to Still & Laughlin 
of Missouri, In 1905 A. J. Lovejoy of Illinois sold Masterpiece 
77000 to W. S. Corsa of the same state for $2500. In 1906 
James Ourollo of Missouri sold to F. W. Morgan of Wisconsin the 
boar Lord Bacon 87415 for $3000. In 1906, at a public sale of 
G. C. Council of Illinois, Lord Premier's Rival 92805 sold for 
$3200 to I. L. Weirick of the same state. Star Value 1 17336 
sold by E. J. Barker of Indiana at private sale to Townshend 
Farms of Ohio for $4000. Star Masterpiece 102000 sold at 




Fig. 331. Baron Duke 5th, champion Berkshire 
barrow at the 1916 International Live-Stock Expo- 
sition, and grand champion over all breeds, grades 
and crossbreds. Bred and exhibited by Sheffield 
Farm, Glendale, Ohio. From photograph by Hilde- 
brand, by courtesy of Sheffield Farm 



704 SWINE 

auction by W, S. Corsa for $5500 to Kinloch Farm of Missouri. 
Rival's Lord Premier 1 13100 when six years old sold for $4050. 
Epochal's Emancipator 250000 is reported by the Gossard Estate 
to have been sold by them in 19 18 to Tom Stanton for $10,000. 
Many Berkshires have changed hands at from $500 to $1000 
per head. Seventeen daughters of Lord Premier are credited 
with having brought a total of $10,560, or an average of 
$62 1 each. 

The distribution of the Berkshire pig is very widespread. It is 
found in various parts of England, although more generally in the 
south section. It is also found to some extent in Scotland, Wales, 
and Ireland. On the continent of Europe the breed is not so 
common, although it has been more or less exported to various 
European countries. In the British provinces of Canada and 
Australasia the Berkshire is common. Between 1905 and 19 16 
there were issued 2272 export certificates by the British Berkshire 
Society, 1000 being for Argentina, 148 for the United States, 
129 for Russia, 200 for South Africa, 163 for Brazil, and 94 for 
Germany. In the United States no breed is more widely dis- 
tributed than this, and it is generally found all over the Union, 
although it is perhaps most common in New York, Pennsylvania, 
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Michigan, and Wisconsin. 
In recent years Berkshires have attracted considerable attention 
on the Pacific coast, especially in California. In the South they 
have a great lead over other breeds as a popular favorite. 

Organizations for the promotion of the Berkshire pig exist in 
England and the United States. The American Berkshire Swine 
Breeders' Association was organized in 1875 at Springfield, Illinois, 
since which time to January, 19 18, fifty-three herdbooks have been 
published, including the registration of 235,000 pigs. The National 
Berkshire Record Association was organized March i, 1893, at 
Indianapolis, Indiana. This society up to 1905 had published 
seven herdbooks, including the registration of about 9000 animals. 
This organization is now defunct. The " British Berkshire Herd- 
book," published by the British Berkshire Society, first appeared 
in 1885, since which time, up to 1919, thirty-five volumes have 
thus far appeared, registering about 21,000 animals. 



CHAPTER LXVII 

THE DUROC-JERSEY 

Red, or sandy-colored, pigs have been bred in America for very 
many years. When pigs of this color were first imported is not 
recorded. A number of so-called breeds of red pigs were kept 
early in the last century, and from these it has been assumed 
the present-day red American pig, the Duroc-Jersey, is descended. 
One well-known breeder of red hogs in New Jersey, in a circular 
published about 191 3, states that "a century ago the Jersey Red 
was known as the hog native to New Jersey." 

The Guinea breed of pigs is frequently referred to in agricultural 
writings of a half century or more ago. In that section of western 
Africa known as Guinea, slave-trading ships secured cargoes for 
American ports. Here existed a red, or sandy, breed of swine, which 
no doubt found its way to our shores. Youatt states that these pigs 
were " large in size, square in form, of a reddish color, the body 
covered with short, bristly hair, and smoother and more shiny than 
almost any other variety of the porcine race." W. H. Montgomery 
in 1852 wrote that the Red Guinea hog was imported into his 
county in Iowa in 1849 from Steuben County, New York. A 
correspondent of the American Farmer states that the African, 
or Guinea, breed was brought to America as early as 1804 or 
possibly earlier. 

The Portuguese breed of pigs was imported from Portugal by 
Daniel Webster, about 1852, for his farm in Massachusetts. They 
arrived at New York about the time of Webster's death, and his 
heirs disposed of them to S. W. Jewett of Middlebury, Vermont, 
and A. E. Beach of New York. They were dark red in color, and 
in form resembled the Chinese pig. Red pigs from the Webster 
importation and ancestry were distributed over several states east 
and south. 

Spanish red pigs were imported by Henry Clay in 1837, four in 
number, and taken to his farm, Ashland, at Lexington, Kentucky, 

705 



7o6 



SWINE 



where they bred and successfully increased. This stock met with 
favor and was considerably distributed south, notably in Kentucky 
and Virginia. These had erect ears and were of a red color. 

The Berkshire as a source of red swine early occupied a place 
of prominence. Writings relating to swine prior to 1875 commonly 
refer to the more or less red color of this breed. Undoubtedly 
numerous red, or sandy-colored, Berkshires were imported to 
America manv years ago. In view of the generally accepted 




Fk;. ;^t,2. Uluo L'liicl 872711, lirst-piizc aged Duiuc-Jciscy buar at ihc i.uui.siana 
Purchase Exposition, 1904. One of the great sires of the breed. Bred and ex- 
hibited by S. E. Morton & Co., Camden, Ohio. From photograph, by courtesy 
of Professor William Dietrich 



prevalence of sandy-haired Berkshires early in the last century, 
and their considerable use in crossing on other breeds, it would 
not seem unreasonable to believe that the Duroc-Jersey inherited 
its color to some degree from the Berkshire. 

The Jersey Red breed of pigs was for many years a favorite 
one in New Jersey and the East. They were very large and coarse, 
weights of 500 to 600 pounds being common, with specimens ex- 
ceeding 1000 pounds. In reporting on this breed to the National 
Swine Breeders' Convention in 1872, Colonel F. D. Curtis stated 
that D. M. Brown of Windsor, New Jersey, had known of them 
back to nearly 1832. In neighborhoods they were bred very 



THE DUROC-JERSEY 707 

uniformly, the color usually being a dark red, although in some 

sections they were light sandy, and often " patched with white," 

The characteristics of the Jersey Red as agreed upon by the 

National Swine Breeders' Convention in 1872 were as follows: 

A good specimen of a Jersey Red should be red in color, with a snout of 
moderate length, large lop ears, small head in proportion to size and length 
of body. They should be long in the body, standing high and rangy on their 
legs ; bone coarse, hairy tail and brush, and hair coarse, inclining to bristles on 
the back. They are valuable on account of their size and strong constitution and 
capacity for growth. They are not subject to mange. 

It is said^ that the breed was first named Jersey Reds in 1857 
by Joseph B. Lyman, then agricultural editor of the Nczv York 
Tribune. Previous to this period they had been commonly called 
Red hogs and Durocs. 

In August, 1880, a writer in the National Live Stock Jonmal 
refers to " Jersey Reds or Durocs " as sandy or yellowish-red hogs 
with black spots, large of size, but not very uniform of appearance, 
and probably mainly derived from some of the earlier importa- 
tions of Berkshire swine of this color. " In fact they bear a close 
resemblance, so far as they have a uniformity of type at all, to 
the large Berkshire of fifty years ago." A letter received in 191 3 
from a man prominent in live-stock affairs in New Jersey contains 
the following statement : 

There exists among certain swine growers a relative of the old Jersey Red 
breed of swine. They are quite characteristic of the old type of hog that is 
described as the predominating type of this breed, but unfortunately we do 
not have very many breeders that have attempted to modernize and continually 
improve the type. They are much smaller than the prevailing type in the corn 
belt of the Duroc-Jerseys, evidence less quality and finish, are somewhat darker 
in color, and require a longer feeding period than prevails generally in the 
corn belt. 

The Duroc breed of red pigs is said to have been established by 
Isaac Frink of Milton, Saratoga County, New York. In 1823 he 
obtained a red boar pig from a litter of ten, the product of a pair 
of red pigs purchased in 1822 by Harry Kelsey of Florida, New 
York, from persons either at Oyster Bay, Queens County, New 

1 Robert J. Evans, History of the Duroc. Chicago, 1918. 



7o8 SWINE 

York, or imported from England, concerning which point there is 
doubt. Mr. Kelsey owned the famous stalUon Duroc, and the pigs 
in question were known simply as red pigs. Mr. Frink called his 
boar and descendants Durocs, in honor of the horse. This boar 
was crossed on common sows, and many of the offspring resem- 
bled him, being long and deep of body, lop-eared, heavy of shoulder 
and ham, quiet of disposition, and making rapid growth. The 
Durocs were finer in bone and carcass than the Jersey Reds. In 
1830 William Ensign of Stillwater, Saratoga County, secured a 




Fig. 333. Orion Chief 13333, a champion Duroc-Jersey boar at the Louisiana 

Purchase Exposition. A great sire of brood sows. Bred by Ira Jackson of Ohio, 

and sold to Thomas Johnson, Columbus, Ohio, for $3500. From photograph, by 

courtesy of the A-atiotial Stockvian and Fanner 

pair of red pigs from Connecticut, where they were known as 
Red Berkshires. The following year he purchased still more, and 
from then on for some years was an active breeder and distributor 
of Durocs. The Frink and Ensign families of Durocs became 
very popular. 

The origin of the Duroc-Jersey pig is the result of the amal- 
gamation of the blood of these early red breeds or families. 
Colonel F. D. Curtis of Saratoga County, New York, long a 
breeder and familiar with existing conditions, did much to pro- 
mote improvement of this breed during the stage of amalgama- 
tion. Mr. William H. Holmes also was a leading breeder and 
improver in Colonel Curtis's time. The Durocs of New York, the 



THE DUROC-JERSEY 709 

Red Berkshires of Connecticut, and the Red Rocks of Vermont, 
as they were called, were of the same general type. Some system 
in breeding was attempted, and in 1877 the breeders of Washing- 
ton and Saratoga Counties in New York met and decided what 
the characteristics of the best type of this red pig should be. This 
standard, which was published in the agricultural press, was the 
first thing of the kind printed regarding red pigs and was essen- 
tially the one adopted by the National Swine Breeders' Conven- 
tion at Indianapolis in 1872. In 1885 Colonel Curtis wrote that 
the breeders of the so-called Red Berkshire and Red Rocks 
cordially united with the New York men, and the Duroc-Jersey 
standard was universally accepted by the best breeders of all the 
red hogs of America. 

The improvement of the Duroc-Jersey began with the union of 
the breeders' interests. It resulted in a pig of some less scale than 
the Jersey Red, lacking its coarseness, haying a better quality of 
flesh, feeding easier, and maturing more readily at a younger age. 
Instead of developing a big hog, one of medium scale was re- 
garded as preferable. The standard of the old type of Berkshire 
closely resembled the Duroc-Jersey as late as 1880. Since then 
the Berkshire has perhaps become more refined than before, 
and for some time the Duroc-Jersey showed evidences of a simi- 
lar improvement. However, realizing that much criticism was 
being directed by swine raisers at excessive refinement, especially 
in the case of the Poland-China, Duroc-Jersey breeders began 
to emphasize size and bone, not losing sight of quality. This 
improvement perhaps dates from the year 1900, since which time 
the breed has made marked progress. In fact, no other breed as a 
whole has made so pronounced improvement in recent years as 
has the Duroc-Jersey. 

Characteristics of the Duroc-Jersey. The Jicad is of medium 
size, though with young boars it sometimes appears somewhat 
long. The face is either straight or slightly dished, the nose of 
medium size and length, and the forehead of fair width. Duroc 
breeders emphasize large, well-placed eyes and clearness of vision. 
The ears are of medium size, moderately thin, and, according to 
the official scale of points, "pointing forward and downward and 
slightly outward, carrying a slight curve." The fact is the ear 



yio 



SWINE 



should break over at its top third, with a tendency to carry the 
lower two thirds somewhat erect. The back of the approved type 
has considerable length and exhibits a somewhat strong arch. 
With maturity the body shows much depth, but immature animals 
often appear shallow bodied and long of leg ; however, from this 
conformation comes the big type of Uuroc-Jersey that in 19 19 
was in such great favor — the short, deep-bodied, short-legged pig 




Fig. 334. Orion Cherry King 42475, perhaps the most noted Duroc-Jersey sire 

of recent years. Bred and owned by Ira Jackson, Tippecanoe City, Ohio. From 

photograph by the author. The light color shown is largely due to the picture's 

being taken when this boar had a very thin coat of hair 



never attains the large size valued by the best breeders. The ham 
of the Duroc-Jersey tends to be long from the top of the rump to 
the hocks, but frequently lacks the fullness or thickness of lower 
thigh and twist so characteristic of the Poland-China. The bojie 
and pastern in times past have been rather deficient, but in recent 
years this trouble has been largely overcome, so that now no breed 
is superior to the Duroc-Jersey in this respect. Students of the 
breed should recognize the existence of two types — the medium 
and the big, with the latter meeting with far more favor from the 
worth-while critics and breeders. Another feature much emphasized 



THE DUROC-JERSEY 711 

among Duroc breeders is that of smoothness and quality. At the 
opening of the present century the Duroc-Jersey pig tended to 
be markedly rough, heavy at the shoulders, and too frequently 
marked with seams or creases on the head, shoulders, and sides. 
These defects have been largely removed through selection of 
breeding stock showing smoothness and quality. 

The color of the Duroc-Jersey pig is red, although the shades 
vary from light to dark. A medium cherry red is the most popu- 
lar color, but there is no discrimination against a lighter or darker 
shade. One unpopular color sometimes seen, though not subject 
to disqualification, is a more or less dark shade of chestnut. 
Young pigs may have a bright color, but with age the shade may 
turn ; especially is this so with a chestnut tint. Among the official 
objections on color are " very dark red or shady brown ; very light 
or pale red ; black spots over the body ; and black flecks on the 
belly and legs." One of the most noted boars of the breed, costing 
a large sum of money, had a tendency to sire pigs that possessed 
small black spots in the skin to such an extent as seriously to 
injure his standing among breeders familiar with the facts. His 
value was so depreciated as to lead his purchaser to discontinue 
his use. 

The size of the Duroc-Jersey is somewhat variable and, as has 
already been stated, at maturity we have essentially two types — 
the medium and the big type, the latter being the result of more 
recent development within the breed. The following are given as 
official weights of Duroc-Jersey pigs at different ages, as adopted 
by both American and National Associations : Boars two years old 
or over should weigh 600 pounds and sows of the same age and 
condition 500 pounds ; boars eighteen months old should weigh 
475 pounds and sows 400 pounds ; boars twelve months old 
350 pounds and sows 300 pounds; while for boars and pigs six 
months of age 1 50 pounds is standard weight. Many large animals 
of -the breed are found to-day, and much emphasis is placed on 
half-ton boars in the breed advertising, a weight rarely attained. 
Ohio Chief 8727 a, a very noted show boar and sire in his day, ac- 
cording to S. E. Morton, who owned him, could easily have been 
fitted to weigh over 1000 pounds. In the January i, 191 8, Dnroc 
Bulletm advertising, the following weights are credited : John's 



712 



SWINE 



Combination 65055 a^ (a boar), loio pounds; John's Orion 
42853a (a boar), 1040 pounds; Sensation Uueen 196494 (a sow, 
grand champion at Iowa and Nebraska State fairs in 191 7), 
<Soo pounds; Chief Invincible 177825 n (a boar), 1000 pounds; 
Grand Model 8th 163999 n (a boar), 1000 pounds; Advance 
Defender 79097 a (a boar), 1000 pounds; and Critic D 168503 n 
(a boar), at twelve months 510 pounds while in active service. 
Referring to Duroc-Jersey size, Fred Devore makes the following 




Fig. 335. Brookwater Lass D 218148, bred by Professor H. W. Mumford, Ann 

Arbor, Michigan ; sold for $2200 to Tliomas Johnson of Ohio in the International 

Duroc-Jersey sow sale, December 3, 191 8. From photograph by E. K. Emslie 

comment: 2 "I have always maintained that we must have big 
type Durocs, and that means 900-pound mature boars, 700-pound 
mature sows, and a yearling that can be made to weigh 500 pounds 
if you want him to do it. But never lose sight of feeding quality 
or the feet and legs to carry him." 

The Duroc-Jersey as a grazer seems suited to such pasture as 
other breeds will do well on, and for this reason is a favorite to-day 
with many farmers. On blue grass, clover, and alfalfa it thrives 

1 The letter "a" after the number signifies registry in the American Duroc- 
Jersey Association, while " n " stands for the National Association. 

2 Dnroc Bul/eiiii, March 15, 191 7. 



THE DUROC-JERSEY 



713 



well. The breed is getting a good foothold in the South, where" k 
seems quite adapted to cowpeas and velvet beans as pasture crops. 
The Duroc-Jersey as a feeder holds its own with other breeds. 
It has grown greatly in popularity for the feed lot, and this is 
clearly shown by the remarkable increase in red hogs in the big 
stockyards of the Middle West. Most of the feeding experiments 
in which breeds are compared have been rather to the disadvan- 
tage of the Duroc-Jersey, but in spite of this it seems to be the 




Fig. 336. Sky Pilot 121715 a, — a yearling Duroc-Jersey boar of the big type, far- 
rowed in 1917 and purchased by Thomas Johnson for service in the Oakland herd. 
From photograph by the author 



opinion among investigators that there is essentially no material 
difference in the lard-type breeds in feeding value. At the Iowa 
Experiment Station, on low-priced feed, the cost of producing 
100 pounds live weight with the Duroc-Jersey is given at the 
very low figure of $2.27. In the experience of the writer with 
this breed during the past ten years the Duroc makes a strictly 
first-class showing. 

The maturing qualities of the Duroc-Jersey are distinctly high 
class. Pigs easily mature at six months of age to dress out 175 
pounds. At the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station 19 pigs at 
an average of two hundred and fourteen days weighed an average 
of 197 pounds. These are not unusual records and are such as 
may be secured by any competent feeder with fair representatives 



714 SWINE 

of the breed. In the experience of the writer in which the Duroc- 
Jersey has been under observation along with other breeds during 
the past twenty-five years, it has attained a greater size of the 
same age than any other breed excepting the Large Yorkshire. 
It may not mature or finish off so quickly as the Poland-China 
or Chester White, but it will attain a most satisfactory weight 
for the age, which is not always the case with other breeds. 

The quality of Duroc-Jersey pork in time past has been subject 
to unfavorable comment. Twenty-five years ago this was an un- 
popular breed with the packers, their reasons being that there was 
too much waste in killing and the fat was too soft and oily. How- 
ever, the breed has been so improved that this criticism no longer 
prevails. In slaughter tests, however, the Duroc-Jersey has not 
attained so high a place as the Berkshire, Poland-China, or Chester 
White. In carcass studies in breed tests at the Iowa Station, the 
Duroc-Jersey yielded less lard than any other breed except the 
Chester White. There was a total of 20.35 pounds of lard and more 
total guts than any other breed excepting the Berkshire, though 
the difference was not great. In killing, the Yorkshire led with 
79.18 per cent dressed meat, while the Duroc-Jersey was fifth, 
with 77.05 per cent. In the carcass contest at the International 
Live-Stock Exposition there have been but few entries of the 
Duroc-Jersey, and while the breed has won no championship, it has 
made some creditable records. In 1908 the first-prize heavy carcass 
was of a Duroc-Jersey, weighing 466 pounds cold, that dressed out 
89.6 per cent, the highest dressing of the prize-winning carcasses. 
This same year the first-prize light-weight carcass was of a Duroc- 
Jersey dressing out 88.6 per cent. In 19 10 second place was 
awarded in both medium and light-weight carcasses, the former 
dressing out 83.2 per cent and the latter 81.8 per cent. 

The crossbred or grade Duroc-Jersey pig is to-day a common 
sight in the markets of the great corn-producing section of the 
Mississippi Valley. Duroc-Jersey boars are now widely used in 
herds where grade sows are the rule, and pigs of such breeding 
feed well, tend to good size while growing, and mature early. 
Crossed on any of the lard breeds, satisfactory results may be ex- 
pected, although the Poland-China and Berkshire nick especially 
well with the Duroc-Jersey. The use of the Berkshire male on 



THE DUROC-JERSEY 



715 



the Duroc-Jersey sows is commended rather than otherwise, for it 
will result in superior meat, and the litters may also be somewhat 
larger from this union. In 19 16 the Ohio State University showed 
some barrows of this cross at the International Live-Stock Exposi- 
tion, which not only won first and second in class on foot but also 
first and second in the carcass contest, having carcasses of unusual 
excellence in smoothness, quality, condition of flesh, fat, and color. 

The adaptability of the Duroc-Jersey to a range of conditions 
is above the average. It has established itself strongly in the 
favor of the feeder of the corn belt, where the climatic and food 
conditions are espe- 
cially favorable to 
swine husbandry. In 
the warm climate of 
the southern United 
States the breed has 
rapidly grown in favor, 
not seeming to be 
affected by the dry, 
warm summers, espe- 
cially as regards skin 
troubles. In Canada 
the Duroc-Jersey has 
but a small foothold, 
due to the popularity 
of the bacon hog. 

The prolificacy of the Duroc-Jersey pig is of the first class. 
Twenty years ago Colonel Curtis wrote that young sows had from 
7 to 10 pigs and old sows from 10 to 18, while 12 and 14 strong 
pigs at one litter were not at all uncommon. Rommel, in a report 
on Duroc-Jersey fecundity, published in 1906, based on herdbook 
figures, shows that 21,652 litters, comprising 200,574 pigs, aver- 
aged 9.26 pigs per litter. This is a most excellent record and re- 
flects great credit on the prolificacy of this breed. There are many 
individual cases of sows producing large litters, of which the two 
following are examples: Sunny Side Fancy 46726 in 1910 far- 
rowed 19 pigs, 17 of which she cared for. A writer in the Ohio 
Fanner, in 19 10, reported on a pure-bred Duroc-Jersey sow of his 




F'iG. 337. A Duroc-Jersey yearling sow of much ex- 
cellence bred by Thomas Johnson, Columbus, Ohio. 
From photograph by the author 



7i6 SWINE 

farrowing 12 pigs in her first litter, 14 in her second, and 21 in her 
third, the last being a remarkable number for a sow of any breed. 

The prepotency of the Duroc-Jersey may be regarded as about 
average. Males show a fair amount of prepotency when mated to 
grade sows, but the breed cannot be regarded the equal of either 
the Large Yorkshire or Berkshire in this respect. In the crossing 
of the Duroc-Jerscy with the Poland-China or Chester White, one 
breed will not have any special advantage over the other, although 
some individuals will naturally be more prepotent than others. 

Families of Duroc-Jersey pigs that have attained special distinc- 
tion are comparatively modern. These trace from both boars and 
sows of fame. A few of the best-known and most popular families 
are the Colonel, descending from Colonel M 3285 a, farrowed in 
1891 ; the Ohio Chief, descended from Ohio Chief 8727 a, far- 
rowed in 1900 ; the Orion, descended from Orion 4901 a, farrowed 
in 1895 ; the Golden Model, descended from Golden Model 5 3675 n, 
farrowed in 1906 ; the Golden Rule, descended from Golden 
Rule 14101 a, farrowed in 1904 ; the Crimson Wonder, descended 
from Crimson Wonder 26355 ^, farrowed in 1903 ; the Duchess, 
descended from Duchess II 5932 a, farrowed in 1887; and the 
Lucy Wonder, descended from Lucy Wonder 6334 a, farrowed in 
1889. These family names, with the exception of the last two, 
are credited to males of which those of most prepotency are given 
first recognition in this list. In fact the Colonel and Orion families 
have attained a great degree of popularity among Duroc-Jersey 
breeders. Breeders thus far, however, have not lost their balance 
in following lines of breeding, so that prominent families of the 
breed really stand for the greatest vigor and productive value. 

Ihiroc-Jersey pigs of distinction first became prominent with 
the appearance of the breed at the important exhibitions, notably 
in the early eighties. Among the prominent show and breeding 
boars between 1880 and 1885 were Major 17, Climax 21, Phil D 
167, Richard III 18 1, John Jordan 297, and King Stoner 165 1. 
Of the sows of that period the following may be mentioned : 
Holmes Ruby 70, Lulu y6, Bess III 82, Mona II 90, Mojeska 96, 
Bessie 100, Valleria 200, Lou Edna 226, and Red Stumpy 926, 
Following these sires and dams may be mentioned Hoosier King 
3205 a, Colonel M 3285 a, Protection 4697 a, Orion 4901a, 



THE DUROC-JERSEY 



717 



Walts Colonel 5795 a, Ohio Chief 8727 a, Top-Notcher 8803 a, 
and King of Kings 109 19. Among the many more recent Duroc- 
Jerseys celebrated as sires are Orion Chief 13333 a, Golden Rule 
14101a, Cherry Chief 21333a, Tippy Colonel 22567a, Good-E- 
Nuff 22437 a, Proud Advance 23549 ", Defender 25893 a, Fancy 
Colonel 27427 a, Pals Colonel 29167a, The Professor 35475 a, 
Joe Orion II 35527 a. Crimson Wonder Again 40785 n, and Orion 
Cherry King 42475 a. A few of the famous dams are Cherry Vale 
Queen 18468 a. Duchess 40th 18958 a, Lucy D 2d 18106 n, Love 
3 5060a, Cherry Queen 
T 100466, and H. A's 
Queen 143382 n. 

Prices paid for 
Duroc-Jersey pigs have 
risen to high figures in 
recent years. Some 
of the notable sales of 
individual boars are as 
follows : in 1906 S. E. 
Morton & Company 
of Ohio sold to R. J. 
HardingandO.E.Os- 
born of Iowa the fa- 
mous boar Ohio Chief 
8727 a for ^2000, 
Later they sold a third 

interest in him to J. M. Morrison of Nebraska for the same sum. 
At a sale held during the winter of 1907- 1908 the sow Savannah 
Belle, with a litter sired by Ohio Chief, sold for $3300. On 
February 6, 1907, E. A. Baxter sold to McNeil Brothers, at public 
auction, the hog Buddy K IV 20861 a for $5025, the highest price 
at public sale up to 1919 for a Duroc-Jersey boar; in 1908 Ira 
Jackson sold Orion Chief 13333 a to Thomas Johnson for ^3500; 
in 191 1 Superba 31403 a was sold by H. E. Browning to East 
Brothers and liwing for $1500 ; in 191 5 Royal King 56047 a was 
sold by Ira Jackson to Johnson Brothers for $2650 ; in 191 5 Hugh 
Stewart sold Colonel S Jr. 43869 a to Thomas Johnson for $2500 ; 
and in 19 18 Charles F. Sprague sold Joe Orion II 35527 a. 




Fig. 338. A Duroc-Jersey gilt of superior conforma- 
tion and quality, bred by Sears & Nichols of Ohio. 
From photograph by the author 



7i8 SWINE 

at eight years of age, to Enoch Farms for $5000. The climax on 
high prices with the Duroc-Jersey took place in August, 19 19, 
when Ira Jackson of Ohio sold at private sale to H. L. White, 
Columbia, Mississippi, the boar Jackson's Orion King 134009 
for $31,000, the top price for a Duroc-Jersey. There have been 
many public sales in which the average price paid was very high. 
In November, 191 1, at the sale of H. E. Browning of Illinois, 
35 head sold for an average price of $303.65, At a sale held 
at the International Live-Stock Exposition in December, 19 18, 
Professor H. W. Mumford, owner of Brookwater Farm herd of 
Michigan, sold 55 head for an average of $428, the top price for 
a sow being $2225. In February, 1919, at the sale of Ira Jackson 
of Ohio, 54 sows averaged $1018, and i boar. Jack's Top King 
1 2372 1 a, by Orion Cherry King, sold to J. B. Goodbar, Forest 
Hill, Tennessee, for $10,500. The highest-priced sow sold for 
$3500 and the lowest for $500. 

The distribution of the Duroc-Jersey is now very widespread. 
It has attained its greatest popularity in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, 
Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota, although it is generally getting a 
foothold in the corn belt. The breed is also rapidly growing in favor 
in the South, especially in Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, 
Georgia, and Virginia. Duroc-Jerseys are not so well known on 
the Pacific coast as the Berkshire, although there are excellent 
herds in this region. The breed has a slight representation in 
Canada, but does not gain much in favor, for, as has been said, 
Canadians prefer a bacon-type hog. 

Organizations to promote Duroc-Jersey pigs date back to 1883, 
when the American Duroc-Jersey Swine Breeders' Association 
was established, the first annual meeting being held at Chicago, 
November 15-16, 1883, at which time Colonel F. D. Curtis of 
New York was elected president and C. H. Holmes of Iowa, 
secretary. In 1885 this association published its first herd record, 
since which time, to 1920, fifty volumes have been issued, includ- 
ing the registration of about 68,000 boars and 150,000 sows. 
On November 20, 1891, the National Duroc-Jersey Record Asso- 
ciation was organized at Geneseo, Illinois, with J. M. Stonebraker 
of Illinois as president and G. W. Philippo of Illinois as secretary- 
treasurer. This association published Volume I of its herd record 



THE DUROC-JERSEY 719 

in 1893, since which time a total of sixty-two volumes have 
been issued to 19 19, including the registration of over 500,000 
boars and sows. The letter " a " after the registration number of a 
Duroc-Jersey pig indicates its registration in the American Associ- 
ation and an " n," in the National Association. Each of these organi- 
zations has been very prosperous. In addition to these associations 
for promoting the purity of the breed and the registration of 
animals, there have been organized a number of state and local 
associations for the same purpose. In general, it may be stated 
that the organized interests in behalf of the Duroc-Jersey are strong 
and have accomplished much important publicity and breed-welfare 
work. The Duroc Bulletin, a semimonthly in behalf of the breed, 
published in Chicago, and the Dinvc Digest, published in Minne- 
apolis, are valuable mediums for circulation among the breeders, 
as they contain a large amount of Duroc-Jersey literature and 
advertising matter of importance. 



CHAPTER LXVIII 

THE POLAND-CHINA 

The native home of the Poland-China pig is in Butler and Warren 
Counties in southwestern Ohio. This is an undulating region' 
with a prevailing clay-loam soil, excepting in the river bottoms. 
The Great Miami flows through Butler County, the valley of 
which is twelve miles wide and very fertile. The Little Miami 
River drains the greater part of Warren County. Corn, wheat, 
oats, grass, and clover are grown extensively in these two coun- 
ties, which cover about eight hundred and fifty square miles. 
Hamilton County, Ohio, and Union and Wayne Counties in 
Indiana were also associated with early Poland-China develop- 
ment. All these five counties are grouped together. The climate 
is fairly temperate both in summer and winter, typical of the 
Central West east of the Mississippi. 

The origin of the Poland-China pig is not clearly understood. 
In the past considerable discussion has taken place concerning 
the accuracy of statement of various persons regarding the blood 
used in the early days of the formation of the breed. Radical 
difference of opinion has existed on this point. In important 
essentials the history of the establishment of the breed is very 
well understood. 

The foundation stock of the Poland-China begins with the 
breeds or types of swine found in the Miami valley early in the 
nineteenth century. The settlers of this region had come in from 
Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Indiana, and various parts of 
Ohio, and had brought with them hogs of considerable variety. 
Undoubtedly the stock of the settlers became crossed, but from 
this mingling of blood was developed a large, coarse, very hardy, 
prolific, slow-maturing pig. The claim has been made that previous 
to 1816 two breeds — the Russian (or Russia) and the I^yfield — 
were known in the Miami valley. Dawson states^ that in 1830 

^ The Hog Book, p. 34. Chicago, 191 1. 
720 



THE POLAND-CHINA 



721 



the predominating breeds in the Miami valley were, in the order 
named : Bedfordshire, China, Berkshire, Byfield, Big Spotted 
China, Irish Grazier, and Russian. However, it is well established 
that the Berkshire was not introduced into that section until 1835. 
The Bedford, or Bedfordshire, pig was also known under other 
names, especially Parkinson and Woburn. One man is credited 
with the statement ^ that he " has seen and owned no less than 
five distinct varieties called Bedfords." These pigs were of various 




Fig. 339. Long Chief 90243, a big-type Poland-China boar said to have weighed 

1000 pounds at three years of age. Owned by the Rockfield Breeding Association, 

Rockfield, Indiana. From photograph by J. C. Allen 



colors, perhaps more especially sandy or spotted, had large droop- 
ing ears, narrow backs, were of large size, and matured at three 
to four years of age. The evidence is strong that this so-called 
breed was extensively used in the settled portion of the United 
States prior to 1830. Bedfords were noted as good travelers. 

The Russian pig is described as generally white, with long, 
coarse hair, a long and coarse head, with a narrower ear than 
possessed by the common pigs of the region. The breed was of 
superior length and height, the bone strong and fine, the pigs 

1 S. M. Shepard, The Hog in America (1896), p. 224. 



722 SWINE 

stood well on their feet, were quiet of temperament, and were 
regarded with favor. These pigs sometimes reached large size. 

The Byfield pig was of two types, both being white in color. One 
was very large, with long, flat sides and heavy, lopped ears ; the other 
was more refined, with small ears pointing noseward, with broad 
back, deep chest, large jowl, short nose, dish face, and thin hair. 

Previous to 1816 the Russian and Byfield breeds were very 
generally bred, and their blood mingled with the common pigs 
of the community. 

The Big China breed of pigs was introduced into the Miami 
valley in 18 16, one boar and three sows having been brought 
from Philadelphia by John Wallace, a trustee of the Shakers' 
Society of Union Village, Warren County, whose members had 
much to do with the development of the Poland-China breed. 
The boar and two sows were white, while one sow had some 
sandy spots in which were small black spots. This was a medium- 
sized breed of unknown ancestry, of fine form, small head and 
ears, short legs and fine bone, and superior feeding qualities. 
Shepard thinks this may have been the Grass breed known in 
Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania as the Bedford or Parkinson 
hog. The spotted China referred to by Dawson is said to have 
been introduced into Union County, Indiana, in 1836 and was 
probably a variety of the China breed. Used on the Russian and 
Byfield crosses the Big China produced very superior feeders 
and much improved the character of Miami valley pigs, resulting 
in what became widely and favorably known in the middle of 
the last century as the Warren County hog. Between 18 16 and 
1835 the swine industry of southwestern Ohio had a great 
impetus, due to the beneficial effects of this cross. 

The Berkshire as an element in Poland-China evolution first 
attracted attention in 1835, when Munson Beach of Lebanon, 
Warren County, introduced some pigs of this breed from New 
York State. These Berkshires had erect ears, were stylish in 
appearance, and at once met with much favor. Others soon 
introduced Berkshires, and up to 1842 they were extensively 
used on the Miami valley pigs. The Berkshire gave more sym- 
metry, greater activity, more quality, and the black color to the 
Warren County hog. 



THE POLAND-CHINA 723 

The Irish Grazier as a factor in Poland-China history was 

introduced into Warren County by William Neff of Cincinnati, 
who imported from Ireland in the fall of 1839. This was a 
white, thinly-haired hog, varying somewhat in size and type. The 
Neff stock had an erect ear, a long body with superior back, 
excellent legs, and very fine hams. For several years Irish Grazier 
blood was mingled with the Miami valley mixture, but the pure- 
bred stock soon became extinct ; not, however, until it had assisted 
in the improvement of the Warren County hog. Mr. Cephas 
Holloway, who from 181 3 for very many years lived in the 
Shaker community at Union Village, stated that " the two breeds 
— the Berkshires and Irish Graziers — were extensively used in 
making crosses by our best breeders of swine in Warren, Butler, 
Hamilton, Clinton, and Montgomery counties." In 187 1 Mr.Tytus, 
an extensive pork packer from 1836 to i860, said that the Warren 
County breed was greatly improved by crossing with the Berkshire 
and Irish Grazier. From 1845, at least, up to the present time 
it is claimed that no foreign blood has been used in the develop- 
ment of the Warren County pig, or what later became known as 
the Poland-China. 

The adoption of the name "Poland-China" has an important 
history. The name " Poland " or " Poland and China" had been 
given to herds of Miami valley pigs by certain breeders as early 
as along in the sixties. Mr. Ayers McCreary and Mr. D. M. 
Magie claimed that their pigs were a combination of Poland and 
Big China blood. Mr. A. C. Moore of Illinois, who formerly 
lived in Ohio, also termed his pigs Poland and Chinas, These 
men in particular, and some others, claimed that a Poland breed 
of pigs had been used, presumably introduced to America by 
Polish settlers. Much controversy developed over the accuracy 
of the claim that such a breed as Poland had ever been used 
in Warren County. More or less investigation followed, and no 
satisfactory evidence seemed to support the claim. Evidence was 
secured, however, to show that in one neighborhood an individual 
used the word " Poland " "to designate the progeny of a particular 
animal that had been obtained from Asher Asher, who was a 
Polander by birth and who many years ago resided for a time in 
Butler County, some five or six miles south of Monroe." After 



724 



SWINE 



an investigation of the subject of the origin of the breed, a 
committee reported to the National Swine Breeders' Convention 
at IndianapoHs, Indiana, in November, 1872, and the report was 
accepted. In this no recognition was given to the influence of 
Poland blood, but the committee recommended that "' in view of 
the difficulties in making a change in the name of any breed, that 
the said name of ' Poland-China ' be recognized as the accepted 
name of said breed, and the report of the committee was approved." 

The early improvers 
of the Poland-China 
pig in the days of its 
formation as a breed 
were represented by 
numerous intelligent 
farmers and stockmen, 
more particularly in 
the Miami valley. The 
Shakers of Union Vil- 
lage in Warren County 
were most prominent 
in this work, and the 
herds of various breed- 
ers who later obtained 
distinction traced back 
to Shaker breeding. 
Mr. John Harkrader of 
Springboro, Warren County, who has been classed as one of the 
originators of the breed, developed a herd generally recognized 
as being of great merit, from which descended much prepotent 
blood. Most prominent among the promoters of the breed about 
1865-1870 were D. M. Magie of Oxford, Butler County, Ohio, 
who claims to have originated the Poland-China ; Alexander 
Young and James Duffield of Somerville and John Irvin of 
Darrtown, all of Butler County, Ohio ; and A. C. Moore of 
Canton, Illinois. Magie and Moore extensively advertised the 
breed and did much to bring it before the public. Other impor- 
tant constructive breeders in Ohio established herds as follows : 
W. C. Ilankinson, Blue Ball, 1857 or 1858; J. Douthett, Xenia, 




Fig. 340. A pnze-winning I'oland-China boar of the 

Medium type, owned by L. C. McLaughlin, Pleasant- 

ville, Ohio. From photograph by the author 



THE POLAND-CHINA 725 

Greene County, 1863 ; Noah Coler & Son, Liberty, 1868 ; James 
Hankinson, Carlisle Station, 1870; L. .N. Bonham, Oxford, 
1871 ; and Edward and J. M. Klever, Bloomingburg, 1873. 

Characteristics of the Poland-China pig. The head is of medium 
length and breadth in good specimens, with a rather full jowl. 
The face is classed as straight, the nose and space from below 
the eyes to nostrils being free of dishing. The clucks tend to 
be rounding and full and frequently are somewhat seamed. The 
ears should be fine and break over at the top third into a neat droop ; 
thick, heavily attached ears are objectionable. The neck of the 
Poland-China tends to be short and thick, the shoulders a bit promi- 
nent but well covered, the back strongly supported with a gradual 
yet strong arch the entire length, the loins and ribs being thickly 
covered, wide, and strikingly arched in well-fattened specimens. 
The sides have but a moderate length, with an excellent depth. 
The nanp is of medium length but is frequently somewhat low, 
so that the entire upper line of the pig from ear to tail has a 
more curved outline than most breeds. The kmd quarter is 
characterized by great thickness of flesh, the hams being thick 
for the entire length from top to bottom, with a full, deep twist 
between. The legs of the Poland-China are usually short and 
show refinement, and the pasterns tend to slope too much. In recent 
years the subject of type has caused much discussion among the 
breeders. Many have recognized the fact that there was too 
much refinement, with a lack of bone and substance. As a 
result of this agitation, there has developed a larger, heavier- 
boned, coarser, more upstanding type, as compared with the 
smaller, lower-set, more refined sort — the former being known as 
the "big type" and the latter as the "medium type." Between 
these two types one finds a wide range of size and breed character, 
greater perhaps than in any other breed. The most characteristic 
features of the Poland-China are the color, straight nose and 
face, droopy ear, very broad and arched back, superior hams, 
and short legs. 

The color of the Poland-China pig has undergone something 
of an evolution. Originally the use of white pigs formed a lead- 
ing feature in the development of the breed, but the advent of 
Berkshire blood caused a change to a darker type. Thirty years 



726 SWINE 

ago large white or sandy markings were common on the body. 
Twenty-five years ago many "spotted" pigs were registered in 
the " Ohio Poland-China Record," although at this time black 
pigs with white points were receiving special attention. The older 
breeders were attached to the lighter colors, but the solid-black 
color with white feet, tail, and face met with show-ring favor and 
attained a popularity which has held up to date, although white 
elsewhere argues no impurity of blood. This uniform color mark- 
ing is said to be largely due to the influence of the boar Tom 
Corwin 2d 2037. 

The size of the Poland-China classes it among the large or 
middle-weight breeds, according to type. In 1875, in the early 
days of the breed, very large weights were attained, but the mod- 
ern demand for a more refined and smaller market type turned 
the tide toward a pig of less scale and earlier maturity. As already 
noted, however, a reaction has become well established, so that 
there is a large constituency of breeders of the big-type Poland- 
China. Pigs of the medium type, fed for market, will readily 
attain 200 pounds at six months, while 250 pounds is not uncom- 
mon with good feeders. Boars at one year old should weigh about 
300 pounds and sows 250 to 275 pounds. At full maturity boars 
should weigh about 500 pounds and sows 400 pounds in breeding 
form. The big-type pig shows greater scale in every way, is 
coarser in bone and hair, and at maturity is of large size and 
heavy weight. Boars at one year old may weigh fully 400 pounds 
and at maturity about 800 pounds or more when in good condi- 
tion. A leaflet of the Standard Poland-China Association states 
that from the point of scale the Poland-China excels all other 
breeds. "It is a common occurrence to see boars at maturity 
weigh 900 to 1 1 20 pounds and sows 550 to 850 pounds, and 
several still larger." It is hardly a conservative statement, how- 
ever, to state that such weights are " common." They are rather 
remarkably exceptional. Among well-known boars of the medium 
type. Chief I Know 11992 and Model Boy 13959 each weighed 
650 pounds and Lookout 32451 some 700 pounds in breeding 
condition. The big type calls for much heavier figures, and the 
following weights are reported as applied to this kind : Grand 
Master 6y666 weighed 1 1 20 pounds on the Iowa State Fair grounds 



THE POLAND-CHINA 727 

in 1914, Long Jumbo 62719 weighed 1106 pounds, Columbus 
64898 and The Big Orphan 63348 (full brother) each weighed 
1050 pounds. Queen of Wonders 1 69001, a senior yearling sow, 
weighed 780 pounds in 1914, and Big Nellie 161 511 weighed 
850 pounds, the girth of her shin bone being 10 inches. Shelton 
& Son, in their August 13, 19 19, catalogue, give the weight of 
Long Big Bone 2d 256457 as 1200 pounds, height 44 inches, 
length (from a point between the eyes to tail head) 83 inches, 
heart girth ^6 inches, hind-flank girth 86 inches, and circum- 
ference of shank bone, iii inches. Long Big Bone, sire of Long 
Big Bone 2d, is said to have weighed 1 1 50 pounds at thirty-one 
months of age. Finally, in reference to size, Lyman Peck writes : ^ 

Quite a number of boars are in service to-day that weigh over 1 000 pounds, 
and sows have attained record weight up to 960 pounds. At the last Nebraska 
State Fair the grand championship was won by a boar that in his three-year 
form carried his 900 pounds with ease on almost perfect feet and pasterns. 
He showed a clean i ol-inch bone and the phenomenal heart girth of 80 inches. 
Now it did not take three years to make this hog. He was possessed of early 
maturity enough to win first as a six-months pig at the same fair, weighing 
255 pounds at that time. 

The Poland-China as a grazer is well suited to blue-grass and 
clover pastures, where it has long been a common figure in the 
Middle West. The general custom of the Western farmer is to 
pasture his pigs in the summer season, and this breed long ago 
showed its suitability for this purpose, keeping easily with little grain. 

The Poland-China as a feeder is one of the most popular of 
American breeds, although its popularity in recent years has not 
been so great as formerly. Any loss of popularity in this respect 
has been largely due to the inability of the more refined pig of 
the breed to finish off within ordinary limits, such as eight months, 
with sufficient size to satisfy the feeder. In the opinion of the 
author the big-t)'pe Poland-China, with sufficient quality, will 
remedy this breed criticism. Early maturity is a most valuable 
factor, but it must be associated with profitable weight, else it is 
a detriment rather than an advantage. In extensive feeding ex- 
periments the Poland-China makes a satisfactory showing. The 
following records of Poland-Chinas in feeding trials indicate the 

1 Breeders' Gazette^ January 11, 191 1. 



;28 SWINE 

capacity of individuals of the breed to produce gains in weight. 
In five feeding trials at the Ontario Agricultural College the 
Poland-China consumed in the several tests the following amounts 
of " meal " to make loo pounds of gain in live weight ; namely, 
4^7, 333. 383, 350, and 474. In three trials at the Iowa Station, 
to produce 100 pounds of gain, the Poland-China consumed the 
following amounts of dry matter ; namely, 424, 392, and 441. In 
twenty-two tests involving 96 pigs at eight experiment stations 
and agricultural colleges, as reported by Rommel, it required 
357 pounds of feed for 100 pounds of gain in live weight. In 
breed comparisons, results show considerable variation, in which 
the Poland-China ranged from the poorest to the best. 

The early-maturing qualities of the Poland-China are of the 
first class, and the breed has been noted in this respect for many 
years. No other breed, unless the Chester White, will finish off 
fat so early as this, and this quality is more especially applied to 
the medium type of the breed, to which reference has already been 
made. In the change in the market from a large, slow-maturing, 
older type of fat hog to a smaller, less mature, younger sort, the 
Poland-China has been an important factor. Until comparatively 
recently, on the great Chicago hog market the blood of this breed 
has played a most prominent part, due largely to the ability of 
feeders to finish off early. 

The adaptability of the Poland-China to environment is at least 
medium. It is primarily a breed for the corn belt, where it is 
found in its greatest perfection and where it thrives best. It has 
never had much of a hold in the more rough or hilly regions East 
or West nor in the cooler sections of the North. However, with 
an abundance of food, it adjusts itself to a range of conditions 
comparable with other breeds. Like other lard breeds Poland- 
Chinas tend to be phlegmatic in winter, consequently a region 
relatively free from snow is better suited to them. 

The quality of Poland-China meat has been subject to criticism 
from certain sources. The export trade has especially called for 
a lean type of bacon, such as is only produced by a lean type of 
pig or one that is fed a nitrogenous ration. The Poland-China 
produces rather more external fat than do most other breeds. 
This is readily seen in comparing the carcasses of pigs of this 



THE POLAND-CHINA 729 

with those of other breeds. There is more lard, more mechanically 
separable fat, and a greater thickness of surface fat. In a carcass 
study of the Poland-China and Berkshire made by the writer this 
was clearly shown. This has also been demonstrated at the Wis- 
consin Station, where the loin fat of the Poland-China was 1.75 
inches thick, the back 2.5 inches, and the shoulder 2.75 inches, 
exceeding in thickness both Berkshire and Yorkshire. The 
American trade, however, does not object to this fat, nor is the 
price paid by the packer any less. So far as the grain and quality 
of Poland-China meat is concerned, when not too fat it compares 
very favorably with the Chester White and Duroc-Jersey. Fed on 
a nitrogenous ration the Poland-China produces an acceptable 
carcass for the American market. 

The crossbred or grade Poland-China is regarded with favor, 
both by feeders and the man on the market. Pure-bred boars bred 
to common sows result in a class of pigs that fatten rapidly and 
mature early. In fact many think that the females of this cross 
show more vigor and greater breeding power than do the pure- 
breds. Poland-China boars crossed with Duroc-Jersey, Berkshire, 
or Chester White sows produce offspring which often feed better 
and more rapidly than the pure-breds. The author has secured 
superior feeding pigs by mating large Yorkshire boars to Poland- 
China sows. This cross fed rapidly and carried ample flesh, yet 
did not become too fat, dressing out a choice carcass. 

The prolificacy of the Poland-China has subjected this breed 
to much unfavorable criticism in recent years, especially in the 
period between 1900 and 19 10. This criticism has been especially 
directed toward the smaller, more compact type, for sows of this 
sort will not breed so easily nor have such large litters as the 
larger, more rangy kind of females. Many breeders of recent 
years have seriously criticized the fecundity and reproductive 
power of this breed, and no doubt the great increase in the herds 
of Chester Whites and Duroc-Jerseys is due to dissatisfaction 
with the Poland-China as a producer. There is no doubt but that 
the average sow of the breed produces smaller litters than any 
other breed well known in our feed lots. Dr. Bitting has shown 
this to be true in his herdbook-record study, in which he shows 
that the average size of 1086 Poland-China litters was 7.45 pigs 



730 



SWINE 



each, 400 Berkshires 8,22 pigs, and 600 Chester Whites 8.96 
pigs. In a study made by the writer of the htters of 1300 Poland- 
China brood sows, farrowing 9335 pigs, the average size of litter 
was 7.4 pigs, essentially the same result as secured by Dr. Bitting. 
In 1906 George M. Rommel published a study of Poland-China 
fecundity, based on herdbook records covering the years 1882- 
1886 and 1 898- 1 902. Over 50,000 litters were considered, in- 
cluding 103,458 pigs for 1882-1886 which averaged 7.04 pigs 

per litter, and 299,324 
pigs for 1 898- 1 902 
which averaged 7.52 
pigs per litter. These 
figures seem to show a 
slight gain rather than 
loss in the prolificacy 
of this breed. In the 
leaflet of the Standard 
Poland-China Record 
Association previously 
quoted, the statement 
is made that this breed 
has " stood consider- 
able abuse from other 
breeds, on the grounds 
of not being prolific." 
Letters were sent to 
nearly one hundred breeders inquiring as to the average number 
of pigs farrowed per sow during three years, and from these 
replies the following interesting statement is made up. There 
was an average of 9.75 pigs per litter, and one herd had this aver- 
age for a term of five years from 40 sows. Another breeder aver- 
aged 10 pigs from 25 sows for five years. Others for periods of 
three to four years gave averages of 8.5 to 10, with some litters 
of I 5 to 18 pigs. "There were many litters of 12, 13, 14, and 
15 pigs each." Many of the sows making these records were gilts 
with their first litters. In a study of the prolificacy of the Poland- 
China, Professor H. W. Vaughan states ^ that of 2895 litters of 

^ BreeJers^ Gazette, August i6, 1917. 







1 


A 






^ 




i 


1 


»T '. ,U/ .. m. J'i.T' /> .' Ij^Z'fl^ 


liir#-| 




%^i» -i^- 


.^-/~;:^ 



.Fig. 341. Miss Rooscveldt 138448, reserve cham- 
pion Poland-China sow at the Louisiana Purchase 
Exposition at St. Louis, Missouri, 1904. This sow 
was of the medium type and showed much refine- 
ment. Owned by Charles E. Keller, Newark, Ohio. 
From photograph by the author 



THE POLAND-CHINA 731 

big type, including 24,146 pigs, and 3029 litters of medium type, 
comprising 22,678 pigs, the big type averaged 8.34 pigs to the 
litter and the medium 7.49. 

The prepotency of the Poland-China is very pronounced, though 
hardly the equal of some of the older breeds, as, for example, the 
Large Yorkshire. But the color markings and characteristic fea- 
tures of the head, back, and hams are transmitted with much 
consistency. The large number of grade Poland-Chinas in the 
stockyards show the distinctive features in the breed and bear 
striking evidence of its prepotency. 

Poland-China families and foundation sows date back to the 
establishment of the breed. Of the older brood sows of distinction 
the following are notable : Bessy Pugh 88, Lady Pugh 516, Lady 
Rue 518, Old Warner sow 714, Queen Duffield 804, Queen of 
Black Bess Tribe 808, White Bess 1000, and White Face 1002. 
In addition to these and following their time are F's Black Bess 304, 
foundress of the Black Bess family ; The Old Harkrader sow 950 ; 
Graceful 1554, foundress of the Graceful family; Beauty 2558, 
dam'-'Of Tecumseh 4339 and foundress of the Tecumseh family ; 
Cora Shellenberger 2880, dam of Success 1999, a famous sire ; 
Lady Duffield 3776, dam of Tom Corwin 2d 2037 and foundress 
of the Corwin family ; Bess Stibbens 1 168, foundress of the U. S. 
family; Bessie Wilkes 8082, dam of Chief Perfection 32199, head 
of the Perfection family. The above animals and families represent 
breeding of the corn-belt states east of the Mississippi. In more 
recent years examples of the big type, as developed farther West, 
have descended from these noted foundation animals : Wonder 
Maid 277520, Mollie F'air 246474, Mammoth Giantess 97276, Big 
Lill 186174, Kramer's Kind 592374, and Lady Lunker 192572. 

Poland-China sires of distinction comprise a long list. Prom- 
inent among the early sires that played^a most important part in 
the improvement of the breed were Alex No. i, Butler 93, John 3d 
311, World Beater 121 3, Perfection 447, Young Perfection 631, 
Old Sweepstakes 253, Success 1999, Tom Corwin 2d 2037, 
Tecumseh 4339, and Black U. S. 13471. Early in the twentieth 
century Ideal Sunshine 37885, Chief Perfection 39931 and his 
son Chief Perfection 2d 42559 (perhaps the most noted sire of the 
breed), Meddler 99999 (grand champion at the Louisiana Purchase 



732 



SWINE 



Exposition in 1904), Keep On 61015, Corrector 2d 87699, Thick- 
set 71221, Perfection E. L, 71635, Perfect Perfection 80971, and 
High Roller 84255 were in great favor. In more recent years, 
especially since 1910, big-type hogs have commanded the atten- 
tion of Poland-China breeders. The three big-type boars Expan- 
sion 26292, Pawnee Lad 30853, and Big Hadley 40832 have 
been termed "' the fathers " of the Poland-Chinas of this type. 




Fig. 342. Mountain Bill 11 1963, a Poland-China boar of the big type, sold by 

Silver Brook Farm, Muncie, Indiana, to E. E. Furver of Iowa for $5000. From 

photograph, by courtesy of Silver Brook Farm 



Other very noted big-type boars are A Wonder 47460, Big Timm 
671 1 1, Wonder 2d 7S7^7, Long Wonder 66688, Disher's Giant 
240655, Giant Buster 240657, Giant Wonder 94537, Longfellow 
119997, Grand Master 6y666, Gerstdale Jones 244187, The 
Clansman 103093, and Evolution 331333. 

Prices for Poland-China pigs surpass those paid for any other 
breed of swine. Some of the highest reputed prices occurred in 
the summer of 1903, when at auction sales held in Indiana a 
number of pigs were sold to companies of buyers on a shares 



THE POLAND-CHINA 733 

basis. For example, two men owned a half interest in a boar, 
which they sold by shares, ten shares being issued. Each owner 
reserved one share and then offered the other eight at auction. 
Thus ten men came into ownership of a boar, eight giving security 
in notes or cash, usually the former. By such a plan eight shares 
of interest in the boar Chief Perfection 2d were sold in July, 1903, 
for $13,850, eight men bidding off the shares at sums ranging 
from $1500 to $2000 each. On the basis of purchase the boar 
was valued at $34,625, an absurd proposition on the face of it. 
Such sales for a season made a great furor, but soon became dis- 
credited and were discontinued. Among noteworthy sales of regular 
form is that of King Medium on December 23, 1896, which sold 
for $1025, the highest auction-sale price to that date. Happy Union 
345 1 1 at the Howard and McAllister sale in Iowa, in 1897, sold 
for $4000 to the Happy Union Stock Company. The same year 
Look-Me-Over 194 17, another boar, sold for $3600 at the Hart & 
Minnis sale at Edinburg, Illinois. In 1905 the boar Meddler 
99999 sold for $3000 to Edward Ware. In August, 1907, at 
Eldon, Missouri, at Goodrich Farm, the litter of pigs of the sow 
Cute-Keep-On 237084 A sold for a total of $13,060. Of these 
the boar Ten Strike was sold to T. M. Chambers of Kansas for 
$5125; another pig. Storm Center, went to William Wingate of 
Missouri for $4250 ; while a third. Sure Shot, sold to Alters and 
Belshaw of Illinois for $2 1 50. Forty-three head in this sale brought 
$25,160. In 19 1 8 the boar Colonel Jack 288991 was sold by 
Fred Sievers of Iowa for $10,200 to George Klosterman & Sons 
of Ohio. This same year Peter Mouw of Iowa sold the noted boar 
Gerstdale Jones 244187 to Carter and Van Deventer of Missouri 
for $6600. Wonder Buster 9971 5 was also sold by W. B. Wallace 
to Carter and Van Deventer for $5300. In 1919 the Silver Brook 
Farm of Indiana sold the big-type boar Mountain Bill 11 1963 to 
E. E. Furver of Iowa for $5000. Also the big-type boar Moun- 
tain Giant 107 loi was sold by E. J. Emrick & Sons of Ohio to 
Myer Brothers of Nebraska for $5000. This same year two other 
notable sales were made, William Wrigley, Jr., paying $15,000 
for The Clansman 103093, and Uittenbogaard, Henry, & Wegter, 
on August 14, paying $25,200 for the boar Evolution 331333. 
Up to 19 1 7 but few sows of the breed had reached four figures. 



734 



SWINE 



but recently very high figures have been attained. The top price 
was paid in February, 1919, when the sow Kramer's Kind 592374, 
dam of The Clansman 103093, was sold by J. L. Davis to T. E. 
Thompson & Sons of Indiana for $5600. It is interesting to 
note that on October 21, 19 19, Thompson & Sons sold a litter 
of 9 sow pigs and i boar from Kramer's Kind, sired by Giant 
Buster, for $17,325, a world's record. Robert Halford in 19 18 
sold a yearling sow for $3400. On February 23, 19 18, J. A. 
Pfander sold the sow Mammoth Giantess 13th 191 790, said to 
have been the largest Poland-China sow ever bred, for $3300. 
The sow Buster's Big Model 217248 was bought in 19 19 by 
Glover & Moore for $2525. Fred Sievers of Iowa made a great 
sale on January 15, 191 9, when he sold 38 sows and gilts for 
$28,850, an average of $760 per head. Ten Colonel Jack gilts 
sold for $10,878. At another remarkable sale held August 14, 
19 19, by W. E. Green, Algona, Iowa, 31 head sold for $49,955, 
an average of $1610. This is the highest-priced sale of the breed 
up to 1920. The Poland-China has reached higher levels on prices 
paid at public auction than has any other breed of swine. Some 
of these high prices are regarded as a detriment to the welfare of 
the breed, and more than one editorial has been published in the 
agricultural press severely criticizing this kind of price booming. 

The distribution of Poland-China swine is mainly through the 
Mississippi Valley states — notably Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, 
Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. The breed is com- 
mon also in other states. Among pigs of this class in Canada 
heavy-fat producers are not popular and have but slight hold. The 
breed has been introduced abroad in a small way. In 1877 
D. M. Magie sent three head to Joseph Munson, at Liverpool, 
England. This is said to have been the first exportation of pure- 
bred swine from the United States. In 1898 twelve head were 
sent to Russia, six from the Iowa State College and six from 
H. G, McMillan of Iowa. In 19 19 many pigs of the breed were 
exported to Brazil and Argentina. The Poland-China, however, 
has never met with favor outside of the United States. This is 
due to the fact that a leaner type of pork is usually desired. 

Organizations for the promotion of Poland-China pigs are strong 
and influential. The Ohio Poland-China Record Association was 



THE POLAND-CHINA 



735 



organized at Dayton in 1878, although the first volume of the 
"Ohio Poland-China Record" was published in 1877 by Carl 
Friegau and M. J. Lawrence. Twenty-six volumes of this record 
have been published as a full set. The American Poland-China 
Record Company was organized in January, 1878, at Cedar Rapids, 
Iowa, publishing the first volume of its herdbook in 1879, since 
which it has published seventy volumes. The Central Poland-China 
Association was organized in February, 1880, at Indianapolis, 
publishing its first vol- 
ume the same year. The 
Northwestern Poland- 
China Swine Associa- 
tion was organized at 
Washington, Kansas, 
1 88 1. The Standard 
Poland-China Record 
Association was or- 
ganized in 1887 at 
Maryville, Missouri, 
publishing the first vol- 
ume of its swine record 
that year, and has pub- 
lished forty volumes 
up to the year 19 19. 
In 1896 the South- 
western Poland-China 
Record Association 

was organized at Ripley, Tennessee. Two very small herdbooks 
have been published, including approximately two thousand regis- 
trations. In 19 10 this association merged with the American. 
Several hundred thousand Poland-China hogs have been regis- 
tered, the American, Standard, Central, and Ohio associations 
each doing a large business. Some years ago an effort was 
made to amalgamate all the different Poland-China associations 
into one. This resulted in the consolidation in 1905 of the 
Ohio and Central Poland-China associations under the name of 
the "National Poland-China Record," which, up to 1919, had 
published forty-one volumes. 




Fig. 343. Perfect Lass 7th, junior-champion Spotted 
Poland-China sow at the Indiana State P'air in 1916. 
Owned by A. S. Booco, Jeffersonville, Indiana. 
From photograph, by courtesy of the National 
Spotted Poland-China Record Association 



736 SWINE 

The Spotted Poland-China 

The Spotted Poland-China is a type of Poland-China that has 
been receiving more or less public attention since about 191 2. Its 
promoters assume it to be essentially the same thing as the old- 
fashioned spotted hogs of this breed of long years ago that had 
been bred more or less pure in Indiana for many years. On 
January i, 19 14, there was incorporated in Indiana the National 
Spotted Poland-China Record Association for preserving the 
purity and promoting the welfare of this family by registration 
and otherwise. An official publication of this association states : 

There are a number of well-known breeders in central Indiana who have been 
breeding these hogs to the exclusion of all others for many years, and they 
have become so popular and widely known that in the opinion of most men 
in this section they are not only superior as the most profitable pork producer 
and all-around farmers' hog, to any other breed, but also to any other type of 
Poland-China. 

The characteristics of the Spotted Poland-China are as follows : 
the color is a well-defined black background, over which is scattered 
irregular white spots of varying size. The general form is that of 
the Poland-China, excepting that it is characterized by good length 
of body, heavy bone, and some coarseness of ear, tail, and hair, as 
compared with the medium type. The Spotted type weigh up to 
800 pounds or more at maturity, farrow from 9 to 1 2 pigs, and the 
sows are excellent nurses. '" Evenness of litters, or the absence 
of runts, is a matter of common knowledge and frequent comment." 

In 191 5 the association championing the spotted type had some- 
thing over two hundred members, of whom a large percentage 
were located in Indiana. A few herds are owned in Ohio, Illinois, 
Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and perhaps in other states. 
Large exhibits of the Spotted Poland-China are made at the 
Indiana State Fair, but thus far to no great degree elsewhere. It 
is very likely that the spotted hog will meet with growing favor on 
account of its large size and prolificacy, the two chief arguments 
in its behalf. This association up to 191 8 had published four 
herdbooks, with registrations numbering up to 21,210. 



CHAPTER LXIX 
THE CHESTER WHITE 

The native home of the Chester White breed of swine is in ex- 
treme southeastern Pennsylvania, in Chester and Delaware Counties. 
Geographically these two counties lie between 75° and 76° west 
longitude, and 40° north latitude passes through each county. 
Little Delaware County borders the river of that name, the city of 
Philadelphia is close by, while bordering Delaware on the west 
lies the much larger county of Chester. The region is crossed by 
numerous streams of fine water, the land is rolling and, as a rule, 
fertile. Heavy crops of the small cereals, Indian corn, and grass 
are grown here. Joining Chester County on the west is Lancaster 
County, one of the richest and most productive agricultural counties 
in all the United States. 

The original type of Chester White pig first became prominent 
in Chester County. Long ago there existed in both Chester and 
Delaware counties a large, coarse, white pig. It has even been 
assumed that the original stock of this sort came over with the 
early colonists, possibly at the time of William Penn. Captain 
James Jeffries of Westchester, Pennsylvania, in a voyage to Eng- 
land early in the last century (1820), secured a pair of white pigs, 
male and female, from Bedford County, England. These pigs 
have been referred to both as Bedfordshire and Cumberland breeds, 
though the former is the usually accepted title. The boar, which 
was retained by Captain Jeffries, had been a prize winner in England 
and, used on the old white type in Pennsylvania, had a distinctly 
refining influence. This Jeffries boar was white, though he had 
bluish or blackish skin spots, a broad back, excellent hams, short 
legs, and a refined head with droopy ears. Following the Jeffries 
importation, Harvey Atwood of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, 
imported some white Chinese stock from England. This was a 
sway-backed sort, with short legs, short face, droopy ears, and 
having black, blue, and sandy spots in the hair, and possessing 

737 



738 



SWINE 



excellent feeding and maturing qualities. The stock from Jeffries 
and Atwood were blended together along with the common white 
pigs of the region, and from this has come the first strain, if it 
may be so termed, of the Chester White blood. 

The adoption of the name "Chester White" for this breed of 
swine is said to have come about in the following manner.^ Uncle 
Bennie Hickman, in 1848, made the comment that at the various 




Fig. 344. Combination's Defender 29509, a noted C'hester White show boar 
and sire owned by A. G. Satre, Stanhope, Iowa. From photograph, by courtesy 

of Mr. Satre 



fairs he had attended he noticed that all of the hogs but those 
he regarded as the best had names given them, so he proposed 
that the best ones be called Chester County Whites. Mr. Atwood 
took exception to this, claiming that the best hogs were from 
Delaware County. As these gentlemen could not agree upon the 
name, the advice of Aaron Clements was sought, who suggested 
that the winner of the most prizes at the Baltimore and Richmond 
fairs should give the name. This was agreed to, but upon their 

1 BooJdet No. 4, Chester White Swine Record Association, July i, 1915. 



THE CHESTER WHITE 739 

return from the fairs it was found that each had won the same 
number of prizes. Accordingly a committee of Messrs. Thomas 
Chenney and Aaron Clements was requested to settle the selection 
of the name, and they chose Chester County White. 

The origin of the so-called Improved Chester White goes back 
to England also. This has a special application to what is known 
as Todd's Improved Chester White and is based on a statement 
by S. H, Todd, and adopted January 16, 1901, by the American 
Chester White Record Association. This is the most detailed 
information published concerning the ancestry of the improved 
breed. In 1827 W. K. Townsend of East Haven, Connecticut, 
imported from England some Norfolk Thin Rind pigs. These 
were black dotted with white, or white belted with black, and were 
blocky of type, short-legged, fine of hair, and vigorous. Kneeland 
Todd and his brother Isaac bought a boar of this breed and a 
white sow of medium size of a breed known locally in Connecticut 
as the Grass breed. No doubt this sow was an Irish Grazier. 
In 1830 the Todd brothers removed from Connecticut to Ohio 
and brought these two pigs with them. These were bred- together 
in Ohio with considerable success, producing pigs that would 
dress 365 pounds at nine months of age. In 1833 Joseph 
Haskins removed from Massachusetts to Wakeman, northern 
Ohio, and took with him a pair of pigs, a boar of the Byfield 
breed, and a sow pig similar to the one brought from Connecticut 
by the Todds. The Todd and Haskins pigs were bred back and 
forth until 1848. That year Isaac Todd bought from Joel Meade 
of Norwalk, Ohio, a large white boar which the seller called the 
Large Grass breed. This was used in his herd on account of 
its good-feeding and early-maturing quality. In 1862 Isaac Todd 
secured a so-called Normandy boar of unknown breeding, white 
in color, said to be of French ancestry. This nicked well with his 
stock, and he produced superior feeders and handsome pigs, with 
which he attained show-ring success. At the second state fair 
held in Ohio, Isaac Todd with this stock vanquished all compet- 
itors in the show ring. In 1865 Todd first introduced Chester 
White blood in his herd with satisfactory results. At this period 
his son, Seth H. Todd, took up the work. More Chester White 
blood was used, and in 1867 the son bought a pair of pure-bred 



740 



SWINE 



Chester White pigs of George B. Hickman, These were used in 
the herd, and the boar proved a most successful sire. From this 
period on, for about forty years, S. H. Todd bred and improved 
the Chester White and played a leading part in its development. 
The claim has been made that Poland-China blood has been 
used in the improvement of this breed, but this Mr. Todd says 
" is entirely false " in its application to his own breeding. He 
rather attributed it to a reversion to the black color found in 




Fig. 345. Big Buster 46015, grand-champion Chester White boar at the 1918 

National Swine Show. This boar at seventeen months of age weighed 820 pounds. 

From photograph, by courtesy of the Chester IV/iite Journal 

the Thin Rind or Bedford hog. Besides S. H. Todd, Thomas 
Wood of Chester County, Pennsylvania, has been an important 
improver of the breed. 

The Ohio Improved Chester White, commonly referred to as the 
O. I. C, is a line of breeding especially promoted by L. B. Silver, 
who began breeding at Salem, Ohio. In 1865 he made a trip 
through the Eastern states to study the pure breeds of swine. 
In an article written in 191 1 he states^ that the parent stock 
was selected with much care in Chester County, Pennsylvania, 
" from time to time, from the best herds, and as many as possible, 
in order to have a large number not akin." Mr. Silver desired to 

1 Breeders^ Gazette, November i, 191 1. 



THE CHESTER WHITE 741 

produce a hog that would meet the wants of the farmer or stock 
breeder. He writes : "I saw they sadly needed improvement, 
and did not present evidence of careful breeding. There was not 
that uniformity of size, shape, or style that should characterize a 
herd of whatever name." The O. I. C. strain, as promoted by 
Mr. Silver, in the opinion of many, was larger and more prolific 
than the common run of Chester Whites. Mr. Silver has made 
the claim that this is "' now known as a distinct breed," but such 
is not the case, and it has never been regarded by the well 
informed as a separate breed. 

Characteristics of the Chester White. As is indicated by the 
name, this is a pure-white breed, although small black or bluish- 
black spots occur on the skin to some extent. Such spots do not 
disqualify, but are undesirable. The official Chester White scale 
of points states that "red or black spots in the hair disqualify, 
but blue spots in the hide (commonly known as freckles), while 
objectionable and should be discouraged, do not argue impurity 
of blood." The Jiead has a straight face, the nose often tends 
to be long and narrow, and the ears droop forward, breaking over 
one third to one half of the length. Thick, heavy ears are not 
uncommon. The more desirable ear is thin and covered with fine 
hair and of medium size. In the best examples the back is very 
wide, with a tendency to considerable arch. The depth of body 
is usually excellent, showing large digestive and reproductive 
capacity with the females. In recent years the breed has gone 
through some improvement, and both sJiojildcrs and hams are 
superior in smoothness and thickness to what they were at one 
time. The legs may be short, the pastern weak, the toes too 
much spread and bent, and the dewclaws too low set. This weak- 
ness is due no doubt to the early-maturing, rapid-fattening quality 
of the breed, the weight being too great for the feet to sustain 
properly. This calls for stronger bone in the make-up of the 
Chester White, a feature to which the better breeders are giving 
attention. The quality of hair is about medium, with a tendency 
to coarseness, while curly hair is not uncommon. The modern 
specimen of the breed shows a finer hair than did the older type. 
A tendency on the part of this as well as other white breeds is 
to sun scald and scurfiness of skin, especially in the West, when 



742 



SWINE 



exposed to a hot sun and dry weather. In temperament the 
Chester White is excellent, being quiet and well suited to feeding. 
The size of the Chester White is about medium. Formerly it 
was our largest breed, and specimens were exhibited weighing 
over looo pounds. The tendency about the beginning of the 
twentieth century was toward too much refinement, but in recent 
years breeders have sought more size and bone. The official 
scale of points of the Chester White Swine Record Association 




Fig. 346. Combination Again 39181, a noted Chester White boar owned by W. A. 
McMahon, West Liberty, Iowa. From photograph, by courtesy of Mr. McMahon 

gives the following standard weights : boars two years old and 
over, in good flesh, not less than 500 pounds, and sows of the 
same age and condition, not less than 450 pounds ; boars eighteen 
months old, in good flesh, should weigh not less than 400 pounds 
and sows 350 pounds; boars twelve months old not less than 
350 pounds and sows 300 pounds; boars and sows six months 
old not less than 150 pounds each, and other ages in proportion. 
In the opinion of the writer the weights given for the older 
hogs are too light. In common with the Poland-China and 
Duroc-Jersey, the Chester White leaders of to-day are promoting 



THE CHESTER WHITE 743 

the big type, and the advertisements are full of references to the 
giant or mammoth Chester White. For example, Mammoth 
King, Jumbo Wonder, Big Bone Industry, Big Chief, Big Buster, 
and Ohio's Giant are samples of names in common use to-day, 
indicative of the emphasis on size. Mammoth King 40917 when 
eighteen months old is said to have weighed 750 pounds in 
breeding condition, and at maturity he stood 3 feet high, measured 
lo.l inches shank bone, "and could easily have been made to 
weigh 1050 pounds." The following weights are given as repre- 
senting the big-type Chester White, the figures being quoted from 
standard advertising : White Rex 45079, 750 pounds ; Prince Big 
Bone 43569, about 720 pounds; Ohio's Giant 33573 and Chief 
Kossuth 31839, each about 800 pounds; Creditor 10 16 pounds. 
Big Buster 46015, according to his owner, H. A. Derenthal, is 
84 inches from butt of ear to tail head, 70 inches heart girth, 
72 inches hind-flank girth, and 1 1 inches in circumference of 
shank bone. 

The Chester White as a grazer will do very well in the North 
and will make satisfactory showing on alfalfa, the clovers, or rape, 
comparing favorably with other breeds. In the Central States 
these white hogs are commonly seen on the pastures during the 
growing season. 

The Chester White as a feeder is regarded with esteem. Bar- 
rows of this breed will compare favorably with any breed in 
returning results for grain fed. Experimental feeding at various 
stations has given excellent returns. At the Indiana Experiment 
Station gains have been made of i pound live weight from less 
than 3 pounds of grain. In a test of one hundred and seventy-two 
days at the Vermont Station, Chester Whites made an average 
daily gain of 1.36 pounds, dressing out 84.5 per cent carcass. At 
the Maine Station a daily average gain of i . 1 5 pounds was secured 
for one hundred and forty days and of i .05. pounds for one hundred 
and seventeen days at the Ontario Agricultural College. In the 
carcass contests at the International Live-Stock Exposition the 
Chester White has made a very creditable showing, winning many 
prizes, including firsts and grand championships. Records are given 
of carcasses that dressed out as high as 88 per cent. The grand- 
champion barrow of 191 1, shown by J. W. Brendel of Indiana, 



744 



SWINE 



weighed alive 352 pounds and dressed out 86.3 per cent. In 19 12, 
in an exhibit of 59 carcasses represented by six breeds, grades and 
crossbreds, the Chester White won a large percentage of the prizes, 
including the grand-champion carcass. Again, at the 19 19 Inter- 
national the breed was preeminent in the carcass contest, winning 
90 per cent of the prizes, including the grand championship. 

The maturing qualities of the Chester White are above the aver- 
age. The pigs have much the same tendency as the Poland-China 




Fig. 347. Ihe grand-champion Chester White barrow at the 1918 International 

Live-Stock Exposition. Bred and exhibited by the University of Missouri. From 

photograph, by courtesy of the Chester White Jo^imal 



to mature and finish off early in the fattening pen, especially 
when of the medium type. Sometimes this feature is carried 
to an undesirable extreme. 

The adaptability of the Chester White is not as great as some 
of the dark-skinned breeds. It has found its greatest foothold on 
the lower-lying and more fertile lands of the Middle West. It is 
not so well suited to extreme heat, such as may prevail in some 
sections of the South, as it tends to suffer from sun scald. 

The quality of Chester White pork may be regarded as good. 
The breed, however, carries much fat and will not produce a 
high-class bacon, as based on the English market ; neither under 



THE CHESTER WHITE 745 

ordinary conditions as fed in the corn belt will the meat be quite 
the equal in percentage of fat to lean to that of the Berkshire, 

The crossbred or grade Chester White makes a superior feeder. 
The Chester White and Poland-China cross well and in the opin- 
ion of many make better feeders than the pure-breds of either 
breed. Both crossbreds and grade fat stock at the International 
Live-Stock Exposition have made very high-class records. In 191 1 
F, E. Bone won the first prize in each class of heavy, medium, 
and light-weight barrow with grade Chester Whites. Again, in 
191 2, Mr. Bone won first place on heavy and medium-weight 
grade barrows in strong competition, and the first-prize light-weight 
barrow was a cross of pure-bred Poland-China boar on Chester 
White sow, shown by John Francis and Sons of Illinois, noted 
Poland-China breeders. This same cross shown by FYancis and 
Sons won the grand championship on carcass. The 19 17 Inter- 
national grand-champion carcass was also a light-weight grade 
Chester White exhibited by F. E. Bone, which sold at twenty- 
eight cents a pound, three and one-half cents higher than the 
next highest-priced carcass. In addition to advantages as feeders 
that may be possessed by the crossbred or grade, prolificacy is 
quite marked. 

The prolificacy of the Chester White is very pronounced ; in 
fact, this may be regarded as one of the most prolific of the lard 
type of pigs. In 1897 Dr. A, W. Bitting of Purdue University 
made a special study of the prolificacy of swine, in which he 
showed that the Chester White sows averaged 8.96 pigs per litter, 
surpassing both Berkshire and Poland-China in the order given, 
Chester White breeders have long maintained that prolificacy was 
one of the strong features of the breed, and there is no doubt as 
to the truth of the claim. This quality of reproduction is inter- 
estingly set forth by O. H. Smith of Trumbull County, Ohio,^ 
who reports on a sow of the breed owned by him that farrowed 
16 pigs January 22, 1910; 14 pigs June 26, 1910; and 20 pigs 
December 5, 19 10 — a total of 50 in three hundred and seventeen 
days, which might be regarded as maximum production. Queen 
Viola, one of the most noted sows of the breed, farrowed a litter 
of 19 pigs in 19 1 7. A writer in the National Stockman and 
1 Ohio Fanner, February 25, 191 1. 



746 SWINE 

Farmer, in 1898, reports on a three-quarter blood Chester White 
sow, five years of age, that during the full period of her life far- 
rowed 78 pigs, an average of almost 20 pigs a year. As a rule 
the sows have excellent udders and make good mothers, at least 
as good as other breeds. 

The prepotency of the Chester White is very marked. The 
white color is transmitted with great uniformity, and a boar of this 
breed may be expected to impress himself on his crossbred or 
grade offspring to a noteworthy degree. 

Families of Chester White swine. Until very recent years not 
much attention was given by Chester White breeders to the devel- 
opment of special families. Blood lines were very generally min- 
gled, and the breed was developed in a quiet way. Present-day 
breeders seldom refer to families as descended from females of 
note, but rather emphasize important sires. Among the famihes 
looked upon with special favor are the St. Elmo, Schoolmaster, 
Kossuth, Pathfinder, Combination, and Pocket Piece. 

Chester White sires of distinction, as might be presumed, do 
not date back many years in the history of the breed. The last ten 
years have given us most of our knowledge of the Chester White 
sires of importance. Among them the following are regarded with 
special favor: Wonder 18069, Pocket Piece 200015, Schoolmaster 
24325, Wildwood Prince 28531, Chickasaw Kossuth 20279. 

The prices paid for Chester White pigs until recently were very 
modest compared with those paid for other prominent breeds. In 
the past breeders have largely relied upon private sales. In 1893 
S. H. Todd sold the boar pig Banker 2293, that was first in class 
at the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago, for ;^I50. This 
Mr. Todd claimed to be the highest price paid for a Chester White 
up to that time. Early in 191 3 the boar Pocket Piece 200015 
was sold by J. W. Brendel of Indiana to Maple Farm of Illinois 
for $500. In 191 5 the boar Schoolmaster 24325 was bought by 
Crandall Brothers of Michigan for $800. On P^bruary 22, 191 7, 
J. L. Barber sold the sow Queen Viola, grand champion of 
the breed at the National Swine Show of 19 16, for $1000 to 
Albert C. Brecher of Iowa. The greatest auction sale of Chester 
Whites up to 19 18 occurred at Ames, Iowa, on January 24, 191 8, 
when W. T. Barr sold 47 head for $9582.50, an average of 



THE CHESTER WHITE 



747 



$203.88, The sow Our Maid 3cl 86502, National Swine Show 

grand champion for 191 7, sold for $1005 to A. G. Satre of Iowa. 

In 1919 Miss Leonora 4th 100772, champion at the National 

Swine Show, sold on February 19 at the W. T. Barr auction in 

Iowa for $4200 to B. M. Boyer & Sons of Iowa. At this sale of 

Mr. Barr 40 head averaged $SS7 each. The top price on a boar 

was $6000, paid by M. F. Black of Nebraska for Wildwood 

Prince, Jr., 34827, champion at the National Swine Show in 

191 8. In 191 8 the average price paid for 5456 sows sold at public 

auction was $136.75. 

Seven of these sows 

brought $ 1 000 or more 

and 8 5 brought $ 5 00 or 

more. I n 1 9 1 9 the boar 

King Anak 69539, 

junior champion at the 

National Swine Show, 

was bought by C. F. 

Brown of Webster City, 

Iowa, for $2000. Prince 

32743 was purchased 

for $3000 in 1919 by 

Henry Wiemers, Dil- 

ler, Nebraska. 

The distribution of 
the Chester White is 

widespread in the United States, but more especially in the corn- 
belt section. The Chester White Record Association has a large 
membership, distributed over forty-eight states, with Illinois, In- 
diana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin 
furnishing a large share of the total. In recent years the breed 
has steadily grown in favor in the above-named states, but has not 
increased much elsewhere. Some sections of the eastern United 
States, especially Pennsylvania, have long looked with favor on this 
breed, but work in its behalf is not active, as in the West. For 
reasons already given, the distribution in the South is quite nominal, 
though it has found a few advocates in Kentucky, West Virginia, 
South Carolina, and Mississippi. 




Fig. 348. Miss Leonora 4th 100772, grand-champion 
Chester White female at the 1918 National Swine 
Show. ExhibitedbyW.T. Barr, Ames, Iowa. Sold by 
Mr. Barr in 1919 to B. M. Boyer & Sons for $4200. 
From photograph, by courtesy of Mr. Barr 



748 SWINE 

Organizations promoting the Chester White. In 1884 there was 
organized at Eminence, Kentucky, the National Chester White 
Swine Record Association, but after a few years the headquarters 
were moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania, where it is still 
located. The first volume of the herdbook contained five hundred 
and fifty-one registrations. Up to 191 8 this association had pub- 
lished eighteen volumes. In 1885 the Chester White Record 
Association was organized in Ohio, and later this became known 
as the "American Chester White Record," "for the purpose of 
making and maintaining a registry of the Todd Improved Chester 
White Swine," with headquarters at Columbus. Four volumes of 
" Todd's Improved Chester White Swine Record " were pub- 
lished, the first appearing in 1885. In 1894 the articles of incor- 
poration were changed to read American Chester White Record 
Association, and Volume V was designated "American Chester 
White Record." Up to 19 19 twenty-three records had been 
published. In 1895 the International Ohio Improved Chester 
Record was incorporated in New York State, although in 1891 
this association had published a herd record. The Ohio Improved 
Chester White Swine Breeders' Association was organized in 
1897 at Cleveland, Ohio. Twenty records have thus far been 
published. The Standard Chester White Record Association was 
organized in 1894 at Indianapolis, Indiana. Volume I appeared 
in 1895, and eighteen volumes were published up to 191 3, when 
it and the American association consolidated to form the Chester 
White Swine Record Association, with headquarters at Rochester, 
Indiana. This is now the main promoting organization of the 
breed. In 1909 the Western O. I. C. Recording Company organ- 
ized in Nebraska, later changing its name to the National O. I. C. 
Chester White Record Association, with headquarters at Kansas 
City, Kansas, but in 191 5 this consolidated with the Chester White 
Record Association at Rochester, Indiana. A monthly publication 
known as the Chester White Journal, published at Rochester, 
Indiana, is devoted to the promotion of the breed. This was 
formerly known as the White Breeders Companion, but in 191 8 
the title was changed. 



CHAPTER LXX 
THE HAMPSHIRE 

The early history of the Hampshire breed of swine is veiled in 
obscurity. This breed was known for many years in the United 
States as the Thin Rind, and this name was made use of by the 
author in the first edition of this book. In 1904 the American 
Thin Rind Record Association changed its name and the name of 
the breed to that of "' Hampshire." With absolutely no prejudice in 
the matter, the author expressed the opinion that the use of this 
name was ill-advised, for the reason that " quite a different breed 
of pigs exists at present under that name in England," In fact, 
all of the historical and other information available to the writer 
seems to support the opinion that there never did exist in Hamp- 
shire, England, a recognized breed of belted swine. George Culley, 
an authority on the breeds in his time, in 1 789 refers ^ neither to the 
Hampshire nor to a belted breed. In 1807 a " Lincolnshire grazier" 
describes 2 the Hampshire as "chiefly white; neck and carcass 
long ; body not so well formed as the Berkshire pigs ; size large." 
In 1842 Professor Low wrote ^ that "the Hampshire hogs were a 
very noted breed, from their being of large size, and well suited 
for bacon," but he made no reference to the color. In 1846 
William Youatt, the greatest of the early authors on the subject 
of breeds, wrote :^ " Here there are two varieties, the one larger than 
the other ; in color they are either white or black and white with 
long necks and bodies, flat sides, and large bones." Further, he 
writes that there is also a third variety found in Hampshire, 
"in many points strongly resembling the wild boar," which he 
states "is of a dark or blackish color" and is no favorite in 
Hampshire. In 1871 Samuel Sidney refers^ to the Hampshire 

1 Observations on Live Stock. Dublin, 1789. 

2 The Complete Grazier (second edition). London, 1807. 

^ David Low, Domesticated Animals of the British Islands. London, 1842. 
* William Youatt, The Pig. Philadelphia, 1847. 
6 The Pig. London, 187 1. 

749 



750 



SWINE 



as black or spotted with red and about the size of a Berkshire. 
He also states that there are "a considerable number of white 
pigs in Hampshire." Sanders Spencer, an acknowledged British 
authority on the pig, in correspondence assures the author that a 
belted breed of swine has not been known in Hampshire. In his 
most recent work Mr. Spencer says ^ that the Hampshire pig re- 
minds one somewhat of the large black pigs found in the west of 
England, whence perhaps stock pigs have been brought. Walker, 
in 1905,2 gives a picture of three Hampshire pigs, black in color, 

with erect ears, sug- 
gesting an Essex, 
excepting for a some- 
what straight face. 
The author has dwelt 
somewhat at length on 
this subj ect to set forth 
the character of swine 
natural to Hampshire, 
England, and to show 
that there is no logical 
reason to give that 
name to a belted breed. 
In fact, with a recog- 
nized black Hamp- 
shire in England, it would seem unfortunate to attach the same 
name to quite a different breed in another country. 

The recognition of a belted, or sheeted, breed of swine dates 
back to early in the nineteenth century. In 1842 there was pub- 
lished in London a special edition de luxe of Low's " Breeds of 
the Domesticated Animals of the British Islands," containing large 
and beautiful illustrations in colors. One page is of a rough- 
looking, lop-eared sow with white belt, white head, and white legs. 
This illustration is given the title of an " Old English Sow from 
the Midland Counties," and in the chapter on the " Old English 
Breed," of which this picture is a part, no reference whatever is 
made to Hampshire as the home of this belted hog. In fact 

^ Pigs : Breeds and Management. London, 1898. 
2 Pigs for Profit, p. 132. I^ondon, 1905. 




Fig. 349. "A portrait of a Norfolk Thin Rined Hog." 
From an engraving printed about 1 840, sent the author 
by the late W. R. Goodwin of the Breeders^ Gazette 



THE HAMPSHIRE 75 1 

Hampshire is in extreme south England and is not one of the 
Midland counties. No evidence whatever can be deduced from 
Low's writings even to suggest the existence of a belted breed in 
Hampshire, notwithstanding published statements to the contrary. 
Sidney, in 1871, stated^ that the original Essex pig was a parti- 
colored animal, black with white shoulders, nose, and legs — in 
fact, a sort of sheeted pig, large, upright, and coarse in bone. 
Later, in 1898, Spencer also writes^: 

There existed in Essex and a part of Cambridgeshire a variety of pigs 
curiously marked, being, as it was commonly called, sheeted or saddle-backed, 
tlie actual color being a black with a streak of white which extended from be- 
hind the shoulders to about the hips. . . . One may occasionally see a few 
specimens of the sheeted pig in Essex, but these are simply the outcroppings 
of the old breed, as they have ceased to be bred to those points which were at 
one time considered to be distinctive of the sort. 

The introduction of the Hampshire pig to America seems of 
questionable date. The claim has been made that Captain John 
Mackay, who commanded a packet ship plying between Boston 
and Liverpool, brought some belted swine to America between 
1820 and 1825 to a farm which he owned near Boston. While 
there are numerous references in early American agricultural 
periodicals to the Mackay hog, the writer is unable to secure any 
description that refers to the Mackay as a belted hog ; in fact, the 
references give it as a white breed which sometimes is marked with 
a few black or sandy spots. In 1842, in an almanac published by 
the Western Farmer and Gardener at Cincinnati, is an illustrated 
chapter on hogs, in which the different prominent breeds are dis- 
cussed. In this we find a picture of the Thin Rind, or Rhinoceros, 
breed, with an account of its characteristics and probable ancestry, 
as set forth by the editor of the Kentucky Farmer, who was a 
breeder of these hogs. Herein he states that their color is not fixed, 
and that he has seen them jet black and pure white, but that they 
are commonly listed (sheeted or belted) and never spotted. In this 
article the writer says : " They were imported some years ago, as I 
understand, from Tonquin in China, by a merchant of New Orleans, 
and then brought to Kentucky by Captain John A. Holton of 

1 Samuel Sidney, The Pig, p. 29. London, 1871. 

2 Sanders Spencer, Pigs : Breeds and Management. 



752 



SWINE 



Franklin County. They are generally supposed to be nearly identi- 
cal with the Siamese, but may be akin to the Swingtailed breed 
of the early English writers." According to H, F, Work of 
Indiana, Henry James, a Boone County (Kentucky) farmer, in a 
visit to some of the Eastern states in the early thirties, saw some 
belted hogs. These he described to Major Joel Garnett, who in- 
vestigated and later purchased from people in Atlantic seaboard 
states 14 or 15 of these pigs, which were delivered to his agent 




Fig. 350. Colonel Lakeside 21865, winner of the Hampshire Advocate trophy as 

the best boar under one year old at the Illinois State Fair in 1914. A successful 

sire owned by C. L. Moore & Sons, Tremont, Illinois. From photograph, by 

courtesy of the owners 

in Philadelphia and later driven on foot or hauled in wagons to 
Pittsburgh, from which point they were taken by boat to Kentucky, 
reaching there in 1835. Shepard, in his writings,^ refers to the 
Norfolk Thin Rind — first imported from England in 1830 by 
Henry Degroot of New York — as similar to the Thin Rind, 
although his references to color do not specify a belted pig. How- 
ever, the author has in his possession ^ a wood engraving of special 

1 S. M. Shepard, The Hog in America. Indianapolis, 1886. 
^ Received through the courtesy of the Breeders'' Gazette. 



THE HAMPSHIRE 



753 



print, entitled " Portrait of a Norfolk Thin Rined Hog," This 
shows a true belted hog, resembling the present-day Hampshire, 
bred and fattened by William K. Townsend of Prospect Hill, near 
New Haven, Connecticut, that was butchered in January, 1840, 
and that at sixteen months old had a dead weight of 480 pounds. 
The probability is that this Norfolk Thin Rind pig did not 
represent a distinct breed of this sort in Norfolk, England, for 
British authorities do not refer to any belted swine in that county ; 




Fig. 351. General Allen 1061, a noted Hampshire show boar and sire. Grand 

champion at eleven state fairs and expositions. Owned by J. Crouch & Son, 

Lafayette, Indiana. From photograph, by courtesy of the owners 



furthermore, they are hardly complimentary in their comments on 
the pigs there. It is possible that the first belted pigs came to 
America from Holland. Mr. F. R. Sanders in 1907 visited Holland 
to study the belted cattle of that country, and on his return reported ^ 
that in North Holland for more than one hundred years noblemen 
there had bred belted cattle, pigs, and poultry. 

Characteristics of the Hampshire. The head is straight of face, 
of medium size, with a tendency to lightness of jowl. The eai's 
on young pigs stand rather erect, but with age they incline more 
or less forward and outward. The back is usually of medium 
width, though in recent years the breed has been developed to 
increased width in this respect. Hampshires do not carry a 

1 Dutch Belted Cattle Herdbook, Vol. VIII. 



754 



SWINE 



noteworthy arch of back, as a rule, but they are not deficient in 
this regard. The sJioiddcrs generally are light and well set in, but 
boars occasionally are prominent in the shoulders and somewhat 
narrow at the withers. The body as a whole has only moderate 
depth and length, producing a fair side for bacon, especially with 
the lighter-weight pigs. The hams lack somewhat the fullness of 
the highly developed American breeds, more especially in the 
lower thigh. The legs tend to be of moderate length, with excel- 
lent bone, and the. pasterns 2X\6ifeet are strongly carried, as might 
be expected in so active a breed. In general appearance the 
Hampshire is a smooth, trim kind of pig, such as kills out well. 

The color of the Hampshire, which is its most striking feature, 
is usually black, with a white belt about the body, this being 
known as a " listed " color. This white band, or belt, is from four 
to twelve inches wide and encircles the body just back of and 
about the forelegs, the latter also usually being white. It is not at 
all uncommon for sows to farrow solid-black pigs in a litter with 
belted ones. The revised standard of perfection of the Hampshire 
association objects to white color running high on the hind legs 
or extending more than one fourth the length of the body. Solid- 
black color is objectionable, while spotted pigs or those with more 
than two thirds white are disqualified. In discussing the color 
H. F. Work of Indiana, in a little history of this breed published 
many years ago, wrote : 

While the Hst will long be retained by many of the breeders as the most 
fashionable color, there are also those who try to run their herds pure black. 
An ideal color is made up much as one may fancy, and the " color craze " 
should not exclude worthy animals that are a little " off color," save where 
spots occur. The breeding of blacks is an absolute necessity when the listed 
hogs begin to show too much white, so as to narrow the belt. 

A writer in the Indiana Fanner {May 28, 19 10), discussing 
the color question, states that he has been breeding Hampshires 
for fifteen years, raising from two to three hundred a year, and 
that 80 per cent of his pigs have good belts. Commenting on the 
solid-black color, he says these cannot be sold for breeders, and 
nine out of ten will not buy if they knew the pig — no matter how 
well belted — was from black ancestry. One can hardly question 
the good judgment of the breeder on such a decision on color. 



THE HAMPSHIRE 755 

The size of the Hampshire pig is about medium among the 
breeds. The standard size as approved by the Hampshire associa- 
tion is as follows : boar two years old and over, 450 pounds, sow 
of same age 400 pounds ; boar eighteen months old 350 pounds, 
sow of same age 325 pounds ; twelve-months-old pig of either sex 
300 pounds ; six-months-old pig of either sex 140 pounds. Among 
the heavier weights reported for boars of the breed are 700 to 
750 pounds. The noted boar Lookout Lad 20371 is said to have 
weighed 800 pounds as a senior yearling. 

The Hampshire pig as a grazer ranks high. In early days in 
Kentucky and Indiana the pigs of this breed ranged the forest 
for roots and were obliged in many instances to " rustle " for a 
living. With the improvement of the Hampshire as developed in 
the corn belt in recent years, it has proved itself a good grazer on 
the pastures of clover or alfalfa now so common in this region. 

The Hampshire as a feeder holds a very good rank. As a rule 
the pigs of the breed make a good accounting for the feed con- 
sumed, and no doubt will make a favorable comparison with other 
breeds. There is very little information concerning experimental 
feeding of the Hampshire. 

The Hampshire pig for early maturity is of about average 
rank. It probably will not mature so rapidly as the Poland-China 
or Chester White, but is not regarded as deficient in this respect. 

The adaptability of the Hampshire pig to a wide range of con- 
ditions is well established. While the breed is to-day recognized 
as especially suited to the Middle West, it has also a foothold in 
a modest way over much of the United States and to some extent 
in Canada. With his rustling qualities so well established, it is 
reasonable that he should adjust himself to a considerable range 
of elevation, temperature, and variety of food and care. 

The quality of Hampshire pork is rated by packers as superior. 
The fact that pigs of Hampshire breeding are popular with the 
packers indicates their value as killers. The carcass may be com- 
pared with that of the Berkshire for relationship of lean to fat and 
quality of flesh. Excess of fat is not the rule, and the carcass 
dresses out very well. In fact this breed, in its leaner type, 
holds a good position in bacon production. R. S. Sinclair of 
T, M. Sinclair & Company, packers in Iowa, is credited by the 



756 



SWINE 



Hampshire association with stating that the Hampshires " are good 
bacon hogs and cut the heaviest and best loin of any hog that 
passes through our packing-house. The Hampshire has a distinct 
advantage over all other first-class breeds of hogs in the thinness 
of the jowls. This part of the hog always sells at a low price, and 
therefore the less of it there is on the carcass, the more it is to 
the advantage of the killer," Pure-bred or grade Hampshires have 
made a very fine showing in the carcass contests at the Inter- 
national Live-Stock Exposition on various occasions. In 191 1 

the grand-champion 
carcass was a pure-bred 
Hampshire shown by 
J. Crouch and Son 
of Indiana, and the 
grand-champion car- 
loads of 191 8 and 
1 9 19 were Hamp- 
shires, 

The crossbred or 
grade Hampshire pig 
is commonly seen in 
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, 
and Ohio and other 
parts of the corn belt. 
The pure-bred boars 
on grade sows transmit their white and black markings with con- 
siderable persistency. Even on pure-bred sows of other breeds 
this is a dominant character. The special advantage of the Hamp- 
shire cross on the heavier lard type is a more active, smoother- 
finished sort of pig, somewhat lighter in weight than with other 
breeds, but killing out to the advantage of the buyer. The black 
and white colors are not always transmitted, however, and instances 
are found where Hampshire boars mated to Duroc-Jcrsey sows 
result in a red body and white belt. Perhaps the most desirable 
cross has been with the Poland-China and Chester White. 

The prolificacy of the Hampshire pig is one of its important 
features. It has always been noted for farrowing litters of good 
size, this feature being emphasized in the writings of seventy-five 




Fig. 352. Rosie's Hazel 40400, a grand-champion 

Hampshire sow. Owned by J. Crouch & Son, 

La Fayette, Indiana. From photograph, by courtesy 

of the owners 



THE HAMPSHIRE 757 

years ago. The sows frequently farrow litters of ten or twelve 
pigs after the first farrowing and make excellent mothers and 
nurses. In this respect they rank with the most prolific breeds of 
American ancestry. 

Prominent Hampshire sires do not date back for a very ex- 
tended period of years. Among the noted boars of the breed are 
the following : David Harum 909, Lookout 7499, Lookout Lad, 
20371, General Allen 1061, Hoosier Lad 34607, Messenger 
Boy 6179, General Wickware 26879, Cherokee Lad 9029, and 
General Jones 24453. 

Prices paid for Hampshire swine have kept within rather reason- 
able figures, with comparatively little speculation. The boar Long- 
fellow 35133, at one time champion at the International Live- 
stock Exposition, sold for $1000. In 191 5 John J. Shaffer, Jr., 
bought the boar Paulsen's Model 24423 for $800. On February 
22, 1919, Seth T. Hadley of Indiana held a sale, when one sow 
brought ^1030 and another $1000, while the first thirty sold 
averaged $330. Late in 1919 the sow Merry Look of Glenview 
89096 was sold by Zene Hadley of Wilmington, Ohio, for $2150. 

The distribution of the Hampshire pig has become widespread 
in recent years. According to the recognized organ of the breed, 
the Hampshire Advocate (December, 19 17), in 1904 there were 
but 16 owners of Hampshires in the world, while at the close of 
19 1 7 there were over 30,000 owners of registered Hampshire 
sows in the United States alone. The breed is in the main found 
in the central corn-belt states, but there has been a wide distribu- 
tion also in the Southern States. The state of Iowa is credited 
with 1442 persons that at some time have purchased Hampshires. 
During 19 17 the American Hampshire Swine Record Association 
registered 32,646 hogs. The following figures give the number 
of registration in the states most actively breeding Hampshires : 
Iowa, 6004; Illinois, 4860; Indiana, 4515; Nebraska, 3410: 
Georgia, 2198; South Dakota, 1996; Alabama, 1581 ; Missouri, 
1228 ; Ohio, 873 ; and Kansas, 591. To show the rapid increase 
of the breed it is but necessary to note that in 191 5 the secretary 
of the association reported 1 36 persons in Pennsylvania taking up 
the breeding of Hampshires, although in 191 1 but 4 pigs of the 
breed were registered in that state. 



758 SWINE 

An organization to promote the Hampshire pig was incorporated 
by six Boone County (Kentucky) farmers in 1893, when they 
formed the American Thin Rind Record Association. At this 
time about twelve herds of swine of this breed were ehgible for 
registration, mainly located in Kentucky and Indiana. In 1904 
this association changed its name to the American Hampshire 
Swine Record Association. This association has had a remark- 
able growth, and on January i, 1920, numbered over one thousand 
members. There are numerous state and local Hampshire swine 
breeders' associations, the more aggressive ones being in the 
central corn-belt section. The American Hampshire Breeders' 
Association publishes a monthly journal, the Hampshire Advocate, 
which renders most excellent service in behalf of the breed. Up 
to January i, 1920, there have been published thirteen volumes of 
the herdbook, including the registration of nearly one hundred 
thousand boars and sows. 



CHAPTER LXXI 
THE MULE-FOOT 

The name " Mule-Foot " is given this breed for the reason 
that it has a soHd hoof, suggestive of the narrow foot of the 
mule, instead of the cloven one common with swine. 

The native home of Mule-Foot swine is not satisfactorily 
established. Various claims have been made on this point, but 
it is generally admitted that the evidence is very superficial. They 
have been bred in Sweden and Norway for a century or more, 
it is said, and Kreglow states ^ that Linnaeus, the noted Swedish 
scientist, classified this type in 1735. He also states that mule- 
foot swine were extensively bred in England by Lord Reagh as 
far back as about 18 10. 

The introduction of Mule-Foot swine to America is of uncertain 
date. It is not a native breed, and no doubt was brought here 
long ago, possibly from northern Europe. J. H. Dunlap, a noted 
breeder, has stated that these hogs have been known in America 
for a hundred years ^ and refers to the fact that for many years 
they have been bred by members of the Dunkard Church, although 
he does not mention the locality. The claim has also been made that 
these pigs were brought from the South Sea Islands about 1850. 

The characteristics of Mule-Foot swine, as seen in the improved 
form of to-day, suggest the Poland-China, excepting for the ear 
and single hoof. The head is short, very nearly straight of face 
or quite so, and the ears are of medium size and incline forward, 
rather than stand erect or break over. The general eo?tforma- 
tion is typical of the lard type, with a fairly wide back and wide, 
deep, full ham. A slight arch of back is sought. As already 
noted, the hoofs are of one piece instead of cloven. The color of 
the Mule-Foot, including the feet, is a pronounced black, but 
white spots sometimes occur and are admissible. 

* C. G. Kreglow, The Mule-Foot Hog. A pamphlet 
^American Agriculturist, March lo, 1910. 

759 



76o SWINE 

The size of the Mule-Foot places it in the medium class, 
although on the basis of some claims it might be regarded as a 
large breed. Dunlap states that the Mule- Foot equals the Poland- 
China and Duroc-Jersey in size, easily attaining weights from 600 
to 800 pounds, while Kreglow places the weight for the sows at 
400 to 500 pounds at maturity, with 100 pounds more for the 
boar. " Some of our brood sows," he writes, "could be fattened 
to weigh 700 and one of our herd boars will weigh 1000 pounds." 
By the standard a boar two years old should weigh 500 pounds, 
a sow of the same age 450, and a twelve-months boar or sow 
300 pounds. 

The feeding qualities of Mule -Foot swine are said to rank very 
well. In recent years they show much sign of improvement and 
without doubt will fatten satisfactorily. 

The quality of meat of the Mule-Foot ordinarily shows superior 
mingling of lean and fat and is more comparable with the 
Berkshire than the Poland-China. Dunlap regards the bacon of 
this breed as an intermediate between the lard and bacon type. 
In the more improved form it suggests the lard type. 

The prolificacy of the Mule-Foot swine is of moderate degree. 
The average size of two hundred litters reported by Kreglow 
was eight plus, and these included ninety-one gilts with their 
first litters. 

The prepotency of the Mule-Foot is a pronounced characteristic. 
Not only is the general conformation and color transmitted but 
in crossbreeding it is said that the solid hoof is reproduced to 
"a remarkable degree." 

The immunity of Mule-Foot swine to cholera has been claimed 
on various occasions, and early in the present century, prior to 
1910, much publicity was given to this statement. As a fair 
sample of the claims made in behalf of the breed, the following 
by R. G. Long is quoted : ^ " Mule-Foot breeders do claim that 
their hogs will not take the cholera from being confined with 
cholera infected hogs, and I believe that their animals have 
made good on that claim." In 1910 J. H. Dunlap published 
this statement : ^ 

1 Ohio Fa}'nter, July 8, 191 1. 

2 Natio7ial Stockman and Farmer, March 3, 1910. 



THE MULE-FOOT 761 

I have a list of two hundred and forty-five Mule-Foot breeders in twenty- 
five states, furnished me by C. E. Quinn of the United States Department of 
Agriculture, and have written to a great many of them regarding the immunity 
of the Mule-Foot hog. They have all replied that they have never known a 
full-blood Mule- Foot to die with cholera. Mr. Quinn also wrote me that he was 
unable to learn of Mule-Foot hogs dying with cholera in the thirteen states 
in which he investigated the claim of immunity. 

These statements, however, are not supported by veterinarians, 
and the author is informed by an official of the Ohio State Veteri- 
narians' office that in 19 14 hog cholera was brought to the Ohio 
State Fair by a herd of Mule-Foot hogs exhibited the previous 
week at the Forest City Fair at North Randall. It is not regarded 
as impossible for herds of these hogs, under certain conditions, 
to contract cholera. 

The distribution of Mule-Foot swine is quite widespread at the 
present time. There are many breeders in the corn belt, espe- 
cially in Ohio and Indiana. Messrs. J. H. Dunlap of Pickaway 
County, Ohio, and C. G. Kreglow of Hardin County have long 
been prominent improvers and active exhibitors and promoters of 
the breed and have interested many persons in establishing herds. 

The promotion of Mule-Foot swine has been taken up by two 
registry associations — the National Mule-Foot Association, organ- 
ized in 1908 at Indianapolis, and the American Mule- Foot 
Record Association, with headquarters at Columbus, Ohio. 



CHAPTER LXXII 

THE LARGE BLACK 

The native home of the Large Black swine is in Somerset, 
Devonshire, and Cornwall, in southwest England, a region with 
an attractive, mild climate and a comparatively short winter well 
suited to swine husbandry. 

The origin of the Large Black swine is in keeping with the 
local development of other British breeds that have been evolved 
from the operations of numerous small breeders. Until recently 
little was known of it outside of its own county, and not much is 
known of its early history, but in recent years Large Blacks have 
grown rapidly in favor in England. Sidney states that the original 
Devon pigs were valued according to the length of their bodies, 
ears, noses, tail, and hair, the longer the better, without reference 
to quality or substance.^ Improvements began to be made in them 
early in the last century, and about 1850 George Turner, accord- 
ing to Sidney, had hogs that "are black with short faces, thick 
bodies, small bone, and but little hair, and exhibit as much good 
breed, shape, and constitution as any tribe of pigs in the kingdom." 
Mr. Ernest Prentice states that Large Blacks have been continu- 
ously and carefully bred in Cornwall for upwards of fifty years by 
R. S. Olver of Trescowe and George Lucas of Leigh Barton. 

The introduction of the Large Black pig to America is of very 
recent date, a number having been brought to Kentucky about 19 10. 

The characteristics of the Large Black pig are as follows : the 
head is of medium length, with straight face, and ears that are 
rather large and thin and which incline well over the face. Walker 
says 2 they have great overhanging ears that often considerably in- 
terfere with their vision. The body is of good size, deep of rib, 
rather of the lard than bacon type and yet not lardy as we regard 
the fat hog in America. The back is very strong, the Jianis fairly 

1 Samuel Sidney, The Pig. London, i860. 
^ John Walker, Pigs for Profit. London, about 1905. 
762 



THE LARGE BLACK 



763 



thick, the legs a bit long and indined to heavy bone. Originally 
these hogs were coarse and large of frame, but in recent years 
the quality has greatly improved. The color is solid black. 

The size of the Large Black pig places it in the class indicated 
by its name among British breeds. The standard of the Large 
Black Pig Society gives no weights. Large Blacks seen by the 
author in England, in very good condition, at maturity approxi- 
mated 500 pounds for females, with somewhat heavier weights 
for boars. In the 
Netv Zealand Farmer 
an article on the breed 
refers to a farmer 
having pigs at three 
and one-half months 
weighing 1 10 pounds. 

The Large Black 
pig as a feeder has 
very good rank and 
makes excellent use 
of its food. It is said 
that these pigs "pork 
at any age," which 
means they are good 
feeders. 

The Large Black 
pig as a grazer is 
regarded with special 

favor in England, although the British farmer knows little of 
grazing swine, as understood by his American cousin. However, 
Walker states that they are great grazers, and that he has seen them 
roaming about the fields and orchards of Devon and Cornwall, 
where " they appear to have things their own way," 

The quality of meat of the Large Black pig is very good, but 
comparisons seem to favor the Berkshire and large Yorkshire. 
Years ago, it is agreed by English breeders, the carcass was large 
and coarse and not of the best class, but " the great weight has 
given way to greater quality," writes Ernest Prentice,^ "and the 

1 Pamphlet of the Large Black Pig Society. London, 191 1. 




Fig. 353. A Large Black boar, a winner at the 

1904 show of the Royal Agricultural Society of 

England. From photograph, by courtesy of William 

Cooper & Nephews, Berkhamsted, England 



764 



SWINE 



Large Black now yields at a very early age the chief desideratum, 
namely, a long, deep-sided carcass, of 160 to 190 pounds dead 
weight, light in shoulder, jowl, and offal, and showing a larger pro- 
portion of lean meat than any other breed." Spencer states that 
while making a good grade of meat, the Large Black cannot be 
regarded as the equal of the leading British breeds. 

The prolificacy of the Large Black pig is said to be above aver- 
age in comparison with English breeds. They tend to produce 
large litters, somewhat comparable with the Tamworth and Large 
Yorkshire. They are reported as having litters of from 17 to 18 

pigs, and one sow in 
New Zealand, "typical 
of the breed," is re- 
ported as farrowing 
in her first four litters 
9, 12, 15, and 18 pigs 
respectively. 

The popularity of 
the Large Black pig 
seems to be having a 
rather remarkable de- 
velopment. Compara- 
tively little known a 
few years ago and 
scarcely referred to in the best British works on swine, it is to-day 
one of the breeds that is attracting wide attention at the impor- 
tant shows in England, and is being bought for export to a con- 
siderable extent. As substantial evidence of this public favor it 
is but necessary to record the sale of K. M. Clark, in 19 18, 
where a Large Black sow sold for ^2275, and on which occasion 
four other animals were struck off at $1575, $1500, $1250, and 
$1000 respectively. This was the outstanding swine sale in Great 
Britain in a period of high prices generally. Present indications 
are that the Large Black is to have a great growth in popularity 
in the next few years. 

The distribution of Large Black swine in England is more 
especially in the south counties of Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, 
Essex, and Suffolk, where numerous herds of merit are to be found. 




Fig. 354. A Large Black sow, a first-prize winner 

in 1914 at the Royal Counties Show, Portsmouth, 

England. From photograph by the author 



THE LARGE BLACK 765 

Large Blacks, however, have been widely distributed in other 
counties and in many foreign countries, including Tasmania, 
Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Russia, Denmark, Argen- 
tina, Brazil, Austria, Germany, Chili, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, 
and the United States. 

The promotion of the Large Black pig in England is under the 
official direction of the Large Black Pig Society, organized in 1 898 
at the Smithfield Show in London. This society has a large mem- 
bership and has published up to 19 19 about twenty herdbooks, 
registering a great number of pigs. In 191 1 a National Large 
Black Pig Association was organized at Lexington, Kentucky, but 
thus far it has not been active in claiming public attention. 



CHAPTER LXXIII 

THE CHESHIRE 

The native home of the Cheshire pig is Jefferson County, New 
York, in the north-central part of the state, on the eastern shore 
of Lake Ontario. The cHmate is quite cold and rough in winter, 
and the conditions as a whole are not ideal for swine raising. 

The origin of the Cheshire dates back to about 1855. The 
cause for the use of the name of the breed is unknown. About 
1855 Messrs. Hungerford and Brodie of Jefferson County imported 
from England a Yorkshire boar of the large or middle class. This 
was used upon sows in the county, and soon after White Suffolk 
blood was mingled with the descendants of this boar. Early in the 
sixties A. C. Clark of Belleville and S. P. Huffslater of Watertown 
began to show pigs of this class at the fairs. Later, in 1870, 
Mr. Clark won the Packer's Prize of $500 for the best pen of pigs 
exhibited at a fair at St. Louis, Missouri. The name "' Cheshire," 
or "Jefferson County," was officially adopted in 1872 by the 
Swine Breeders' Convention at Indianapolis, Indiana. The evi- 
dence indicates that the breed is the result of constant crossing 
and breeding of Large Yorkshires and White Suffolks to the 
white pigs in Jefferson County. In 1876 Colonel F. D. Curtis, a 
prominent New York live-stock authority, wrote Mr. F. D. Coburn 
that he knew "of but one breeder of these pigs in Jefferson County." 
Mr. J. H. Sanders bred these pigs pure for about seven years in 
Iowa, and wrote Mr. Coburn as follows : 

I produced all the different types of the Yorkshire from the Large York down 
to the Lancashire Short-face. . . . The type which I finally succeeded in fix- 
ing upon the Cheshires, as bred by me, was almost identical in size, form, and 
quality with the most approved Berkshires. Indeed, so marked was this resem- 
blance in everything but color that they were often facetiously called " White 
Berkshires." 

About 1873 E. W. Davis began to improve this pig and added 
much to the permanence of type. 

766 



THE CHESHIRE 



1^1 



Characteristics of the Cheshire. This breed closely resembles 
in form the Yorkshire of the middle class. The face while dished 
is not extremely so, and the cars, which are small and fine, stand 
erect or point slightly forward. The back is wide and very slightly 
arched, the Cheshire scale of points requiring it to be " long, broad, 
and straight nearly to root of tail." The body as a whole has con- 
siderable length but often lacks depth. The shoulders and Jiams 
are regarded as of the thick-fleshed, well-developed sort. The legs 




Fig. 355. Eildene 6179, a fine specimen of a Cheshire sow owned by E. S. Hill, 
Freeville, New York. From photograph, by courtesy of Mr. Hill 

show considerable refinement of bone, frequently to an undesirable 
extent. The feet and pasterns are only moderately strong. The 
color of the hair and skin is white. Black spots may occur on the 
skin of pure-breds, and while objectionable do not disqualify. Both 
skin and hair are regarded as of superior quality by those who are 
familiar with the breed. 

The size of the Cheshire pig is about medium, though it has been 
classed by Professor Shaw as the smallest of the middle-sized 
breeds. This is hardly in accordance with the standards of 
the Cheshire Swine Association. The standard of excellence in 



768 SWINE 

Volume I of the herdbook states that when grown and well 
fattened the hogs should show a dressed weight of from 400 
to 600 pounds. That represents a heavy-weight hog. There 
are said to be numerous instances on record of pigs dressing 
over 400 pounds when nine months old. The Cheshire bar- 
rows shown at the International Live-Stock Exposition in 1905 
were a heavy-weight lot and gave no impression of being 
of a small breed. One of these at eight and one-half months 
weighed 353 pounds. The Cheshire is said to weigh heavy for 
its size. Mr. A. H. Bates, once a prominent breeder of swine, 
has the following to say in a letter which is quoted from the 
" Cheshire Herdbook " : 

I find that buyers are not able to guess the weights of Cheshires. One lot 
of thirteen culls I offered at 325 pounds each. The buyers thought they would 
not weigh over 300 pounds. They averaged 390 each. Another lot of twenty 
culls I offered at 150 pounds average. They weighed 185^ pounds on the 
average. I have found it will not do to sell Cheshires by guess. 

The quality of Cheshire meat ranks high. Sanders, writing of 
those he bred, stated that " their meat was most excellent, tender, 
and juicy." Others have rendered similar testimony. The flesh is 
fine grained and, with hogs not fed too much corn, is of a desirable 
bacon type. 

Crossbred or grade Cheshires are not common, but are looked 
upon with favor in some localities. Where superior and prepotent 
boars are kept they may be used on common sows to material 
advantage, securing a high class of pork. 

The Cheshire as a feeder is not well known. But few have been 
tried in the great swine-producing sections of the country. Only 
experiment stations in the Eastern states have fed Cheshires ex- 
perimentally. The Maine Station reports in 1890 a comparison of 
breeds of swine, Cheshires gaining daily 1.23 pounds, Yorkshires 
1. 1 4, Chester Whites 1.08, Poland-Chinas i.oi, and Berkshires i. 
Two pigs of each breed were used, one of each sex, and they were 
fed from five to eight weeks. The Berkshires ate the least food to 
make a pound of gain, and the Cheshires the most. Experiments 
in 1 89 1 at the Maine Station, also, showed more food required for 
the growth of the Cheshire than for that of other breeds. 



THE CHESHIRE 769 

The fecundity of the Cheshire is above medium, the sows breed- 
ing readily and producing fairly large litters, especially as commonly 
fed in the Eastern states. 

The Cheshire as a grazer is not well known, for it has been in 
the main a sty-fed hog. It should, however, do well on good 
pastures. Shaw credits the breed with fair grazing qualities. The 
fact that the Cheshire has never secured much of a hold in the 
great swine-producing sections of our country, although introduced 
there, would argue that it had not satisfactorily adapted itself to 
Western conditions. 

The popularity of the Cheshire is distinctly local, it being one 
of the least-known breeds in America, being rarely seen on the 
market or at agricultural fairs west of New York. The late 
S. M. Shepard, a well-known Western judge and authority on 
swine, states that following the exhibit of Clark at St. Louis in 
1870 the breed did not gain much in favor beyond the state of 
its origin. 

The distribution of the Cheshire pig is mainly in the eastern 
United States, with New York the leading state interested in the 
breed. Herds are also owned in the New England states, Penn- 
sylvania, Ohio, and elsewhere, though to but a slight extent. 

The Cheshire Swine Breeders' Association, organized in 1884 in 
New York State, promotes the purity and welfare of this breed. 
The association published its first volume of a herd record in 
1889, since which time five others have been issued up to and 
including 19 19. 



CHAPTER LXXIV 

THE SMALL YORKSHIRE 

The origin of the Small Yorkshire pig, known as the Small 
White in England, is obscure. It has been assumed that it came 
from Chinese stock, though different to-day from the early Chinese 
type. Charles Mason of Chilton and Robert Colling of Darling- 
ton, Yorkshire, both Shorthorn cattle breeders, are the earliest- 
known persons to have bred Small Yorkshires, then termed 
"Chinese." They owned herds as early as 1818, but nothing 
is known of the parent stock. Following this period the breed 
met with some extensive distribution in England by Shorthorn 
breeders. 

Some strains or families of Small Whites early developed in 
England. A local breed, known as the Solway in Cumberland, 
assisted in the improvement of the Small Yorkshire, although 
this was descended from the Mason-Colling breeding of Small 
Whites. The Solway also played a part in improving the Large 
Yorkshire as bred by. Mr. Wainman of Carhead. There existed 
some twenty-five or so years ago a small white pig known as the 
Suffolk, which was essentially absorbed by the Small Yorkshire. 
In Cumberland was another type, some larger than the Small 
Yorkshire but of the same general character, the blood of the 
two being freely mixed. Still another branch, descended from 
Mason-Colling stock, was known as the Windsor breed. A more 
modern and very popular strain was developed by Lord Ducie, 
which really resulted from a judicious blending of Cumberland 
and Small Yorkshire blood. 

The introduction of the Small Yorkshire pig to America under 
that name occurred many years ago. In 1888 Curtis wrote that it 
was first brought to this country about i860, but did not attract 
much attention. Colonel Richard M. Hoe of New York and 
William H. Cole of New Jersey made importations in 1872, 1874, 
1875, 1876, 1877, and 1878, and to these importations trace the 

770 



THE SMALL YORKSHIRE 771 

best-known herds of America. Small Yorkshires were first ex- 
hibited at New York and New Jersey fairs in 1875, while in 1876 
they were extensively shown in Ohio, Indiana, and at St. Louis 
and also at the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia. 

The characteristics of the Small Yorkshire are most striking. 
This breed among swine is the most highly developed of any from 
the standpoint of " fancy " points. The head in its most fashion- 
able form presents a remarkable development. The face is very 




Fig. 356. A Small \'orkshiie boar, first in class at the 1905 Ohio State Fair. Owned 
and exhibited by George Ineichen of Indiana. From photograph by the author 

short and broad and is dished or curved to such a degree in speci- 
mens as to point the end of the nose upward. The lower jaw 
also is curved upward in a marked degree. In this highly dished 
face the eyes are often obscured by rolls of fat about the side of 
the head. The ears are short, fine, and erect, pointing forward. 
The jozvl is naturally very round and highly developed. This 
breed is famous for great fat production — the neck short and 
thick, the back very broad, short, and deeply laid with fat or 
flesh, the tail set up well on a line with the back, the hams and 
shoulders heavy and full for the size, and the bone, hair, and 
quality quite refined. The color is entirely white except for black 
spots occasionally occurring on the skin. In referring to the 
characteristics of the breed Professor James Long writes : "In 



772 SWINE 

breeding the Small White pig the breeder should make it his aim to 
maintain the characteristic points of the variety, the chief of which 
are form {mjich in little), fineness of bone, quantity and quality of 
hair, shortness of snout, and aptitude to fatten," As a whole pigs 
of this breed have great breadth and depth for their size. 

The size of the Small Yorkshire ranks it as the smallest of the 
breeds kept in this country. The matured pig will usually weigh from 
1 80 to 200 pounds, although Mr. Sanders Spencer has had them 
weigh nearly 300 pounds at fifteen months of age. Owing to the 
very compact form individuals weigh more than might be anticipated. 

The early-maturing qualities of the Small Yorkshire are of a 
high order, so that the pigs may be fattened at almost any stage 
of development. 

The Small Yorkshire as a feeder is easily fattened, but does not 
make large gains. This has been regarded as a superior sort for 
making small roasting pigs, as the young things finish off early 
for this purpose. Some British authorities on swine claim that pigs 
of this breed can be brought to excessive fatness on less food by 
half than any other breed. It will not, however, increase as rapidly 
in actual gains as the larger breeds. At the Vermont Experiment 
Station Small Yorkshires made an average daily gain of 1.04 
pound live weight, having an average weight of 201 pounds after 
one hundred and eighty-four days of feeding, starting at 23 pounds. 
It required 353 pounds of feed for 100 pounds gain, and the car- 
casses dressed 84,1 per cent. This record somewhat excelled that 
of the Berkshire. 

The quality of Small Yorkshire meat, while of fine grain and 
sweet, is not in favor to-day in Great Britain, containing as it does 
a high percentage of fat. Mr. John Walker, writing in 1905 in 
""Pigs for Profit," says: "As far as quality goes these pigs are 
despised by the butcher because they give such a very small pro- 
portion of lean to fat that the public leaves the joints of pork on 
the butcher's slab, it being so leanless, while the bacon curer will 
have naught to do with the fat little animals." 

The crossbred or grade Small Yorkshire pig is in general an 
improvement over the pure-bred, if mated to a larger breed, for 
thereby a better grade of pork is produced and a more hardy and 
prolific stock results. 



THE SMALL YORKSHIRE 



773 



The small Yorkshire as a grazing pig will do extremely well ; 
at least, that is the experience in England. Professor Long states 
that when a Small White pig is fit for exhibition it gets very little 
but grass, and that he has repeatedly seen fat pigs of this breed 
which in summer were entirely grass-fed. 

The fecundity of the Small Yorkshire is about medium, with a 
tendency to small litters, such as might be expected from a breed 
tending to excess of fat development. The nursing females pro- 
duce but a moderate amount of milk. 

The popularity of the Small Yorkshire has decreased to such an 
extent that it is but slightly bred to-day in England or America. 
As a breed it was largely developed by fanciers, often for show. 
Its excessive fat, however, caused it to become unpopular in the 
British market, where a lean type of bacon is most in favor. 
About 191 3 the Royal Agricultural Society of England discon- 
tinued recognition of this breed, and it was dropped from its prize 
list. This is equivalent to the death sentence of a breed in Great 
Britain. In the United States there are a few herds, but they are 
almost unknown, unless brought out for live-stock shows. 

The distribution of the Small Yorkshire is mainly in England 
and the L^nited States, in small herds and in a limited degree, as 
has been indicated. They are mainly located in the eastern United 
States, notably in New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, with 
a few small herds in the Middle West and on the Pacific slope. 

The promotion of Small Yorkshire Swine in America was first 
brought about by the organization in New York City, in 1878, of 
The American Small Yorkshire Club. This club, which has long 
been defunct, registered about fifteen hundred pigs in the first two 
and only volumes of the herdbook issued. The American York- 
shire Club, organized in 1893, with headquarters in Minnesota, 
registers this breed in the "American Yorkshire Record," of 
which five volumes have been published. In the herdbooks of 
this club the Small Yorkshires are registered in a group by them- 
selves, as Class A, the Large Yorkshires being in Class B. Only 
a few hundred of the Small Yorkshires have been registered in 
this club, these being mainly in the Western states. There is also 
what is known as the United States Small Yorkshire Association, 
with headquarters in Michigan. 



CHAPTER LXXV 
THE ESSEX 

The native home of the Essex pig is in the county of Essex in 
eastern England, lying just northeast of London. The land is 
level or rolling and the climate temperate and moist. 

The early native type of Essex pig is said to have been of 
mixed color, black and white, with white shoulders, nose, and 
legs. It was roach-backed, flat-ribbed, had long legs, a sharp 
head, was coarse in bone, was a large feeder, and had a nervous 
disposition. 

The improvement of the Essex pig was first secured by Lord 
Western, formerly an Essex squire, who, when in Italy in 1830, 
purchased a pair of black Neapolitans, male and female, and 
brought them to England. The Neapolitan was then crossed 
upon some well-selected pigs such as were common in Essex, 
with most satisfactory results. It is also thought that Black 
Suffolk and Berkshire blood was used. The white coloring was 
entirely removed and a black Essex-Neapolitan pig of improved 
form resulted, with shorter heads and legs, more quality, and 
fattening much more readily. These improved pigs were very 
popular for a time. They were inbred, however, at least in Lord 
Western's hands, and became of enfeebled constitution, lacking 
in fecundity and in size. 

The establishment of the Improved Essex breed was accom- 
plished by Mr. Eisher Hobb.es of Boxted Lodge, a tenant of 
Lord Western. Even prior to 1840 he began to use Essex- 
Neapolitan boars on hardy, high-class Essex sows. By careful 
selection and mating he developed what became famous as the 
Improved Essex breed. Lord Western died in 1844, and on his 
death Hobbes purchased his best breeding sows. This improved 
form had more size and constitution than the original Essex- 
Neapolitan, and for more than twenty years this was maintained 
by selection from three distinct families. In 1840 Mr. Hobbes 

774 



THE ESSEX 



775 



received first prizes on a boar and sow at the Royal Agricultural 
Society Show at Cambridge, which gave the breed much fame. 
Since the time of Mr. Hobbes this breed has become distributed 
in England, especially in Suffolk County, adjoining Essex, where 
the leading breeders reside. In England to-day the Essex is 
generally known as the Small Black breed or Black Suffolk. 

The introduction of the Essex pig to America dates back to 
early in the last century. The old-fashioned type of Essex, it is 
thought, was owned about 1820 in Massachusetts, John Prince 
having a crossbred 
sow, part Essex, part 
Chinese. In 1839 
Henry Parsons of 
Canada imported and 
kept Essex pigs near 
Massillon, Ohio. In 
1886 S. M. Shepard 
wrote that of recent 
years a number of im- 
portations had been 
made and a few herds 
kept in New York, 
Michigan, Wisconsin, 
Kentucky, Tennessee, 

and a few other states. One of the extensive breeders and 
importers of twenty-five years ago was William Smith of Michigan. 

Characteristics of the Essex pig. This breed has certain very 
distinguishing features. The color is entirely black. The head 
is rather short, the face is slightly dished, the forehead is broad, 
and the ears are small, fine, and carried erect. The fozvl is 
rather broad and full. The neck is short, the back very broad 
and somewhat short and strongly carried, while the sides are deep 
and short. The shoulders are well laid and thickly fleshed, and 
the hams are thick and deep and of superior merit. The legs, 
which tend to be rather short, show bone of fine quality. Inform 
the Essex is distinctly of the thick-fleshed, fat, chunky sort, and 
perhaps no breed in England has been fattened to so high a 
degree. There is also criticism of enfeebled constitution. 




Fig. 357. An Essex boar owned by Charles Lafferty, 

Little Valley, New York. From photograph, by 

courtesy of Mr. Lafferty 



-j-jd SWINE 

The size of the Essex pig is small compared with the Poland- 
China or Berkshire, ranking among the smaller breeds. In i860 
Samuel Sidney wrote that "' with age they attain considerable 
weight and often make 500 pounds at twenty-four months old." 
Sidney states that the Emperor, a boar bred by Fisher Hobbes, is 
2 feet 8 1 inches high at the shoulder and 6 feet i inch long. 
Mr. F. D. Coburn quotes William Smith, an extensive breeder 
of the Essex in Michigan, that these pigs often reach a weight of 
400 to 500 pounds. Ur. Chase of Kansas places their weight, 
under ordinary treatment, when full grown at 250 to 275 pounds. 

The Essex as feeders rank high in combining early maturity 
with great flesh production. The capacity of the breed to lay on 
flesh has not been placed on record by American investigators, 
but it has long been famous as a profitable feeding kind, although 
producing a fatter pork than is at present in favor abroad. The 
temperament of the Essex is very docile, which naturally promotes 
easy as well as profitable feeding. '' 

The quality of Essex meat is fine and of excellent flavor, but 
a large per cent of fat to lean meat prevails unless care is exer- 
cised in the kind of foods fed. Mr. J. A. Smith of Ipswich, 
England, who breeds and shows the Essex, is quoted by Professor 
Long as saying that "one objection which is urged against the 
breed is their tendency to produce an undue proportion of fat, 
consumers complaining that the bacon is not sufficiently streaky." 

The crossbred or grade Essex pig may be of considerable com- 
parative value. A half century ago it is said that the Berkshire 
breed was much improved by Essex blood. In fact Essex blood, 
as improved by Lord Western and Fisher Hobbes, is said to 
have been responsible for much of the improvement through 
crossing or grading in the herds of England. It is a well- 
established fact that the Essex used on the coarser, rougher 
type imparts quality and early maturity. 

The fecundity of the Essex pig became impaired by its exces- 
sive development in fat production, a criticism made against the 
breed years ago. Mr. Smith, already quoted, says that his pigs, 
when properly managed, are very prolific, fifteen or sixteen being 
frequently in a litter, although ten to eleven is a fair number. 
The breed, however, does not stand high in this respect, being 



THE ESSEX ^'j'j 

ranked below the Berkshire. As nurses the Essex sows are 
regarded as simply medium, not as a rule yielding an abundance 
of milk. The fecundity of individuals and their capacity to nurse 
their young will depend in a measure on the character of food fed 
and condition of body. 

The maturing qualities of the Essex are noteworthy, the breed 
having been famous for early maturity since the improvement 
first effected by Lord Western. Feeders easily mature at six 
months, though of course they represent a small type of pig. 

The popularity of the Essex breed of swine is at a low ebb, and 
at the present time, in America, it is kept in a small way by very 
few breeders, largely for showing at fairs. Sanders Spencer states : ^ 

Suffolks, Essex, or Small Blacks, as they are usually called, have well nigh 
become a breed of the past ; these . . . had become reduced in size, as was the 
proportion of lean meat in the carcass, so that the prize-winning specimens 
were merely animated black bladders of lard, very comely to look upon, but of 
comparatively little v^ue for farm purposes. 

W. J. Maiden, another English authority, states ^ that the Essex 
is losing favor year by year, for the reason that it has too large 
a per cent of fat, a delicate constitution, and an inaptitude to 
"' grow into money." 

The distribution of Essex pigs is quite widespread. They are 
found in England in a small way in various counties, notably in 
Essex and Suffolk. They have also been exported to France and 
other European countries and to Canada and Australia. In the 
United States a few herds have been kept in Michigan, Indiana, 
Texas, Nebraska, Alabama, Ohio, and elsewhere. The breed has 
met with favor in the South, and an Ohio breeder informs the author 
that he has a strong demand for his pigs from that section. 

The promotion of Essex swine in America has been supervised 
by^he American Essex Swine Association, which was organized in 
1887. This has always been a small association, and in recent years 
has been little in evidence. So far as the author can learn, but two 
volumes of the herdbook have been published, the last one appearing 
in 1893, with registrations numbering up to 537 for boars and 982 
for sows. In England the National Pig Breeders' Association has 
officially represented the breed under the title " Small Black." 

^ Pigs for Breeders and Feeders, 1907. ^ Pigs for Profit, 1905. 



CHAPTER LXXVI 
THE BACON TYPE OF PIG 

The general characteristics of the bacon pig as compared with 
the so-called lard hog are as follows : back not broad, head some- 
what long, side long and deep, a smoother shoulder, lighter ham, 
and somewhat longer leg. When in good condition there is much 
less depth of fat than with the lard type. The muscles are evident 
in a greater degree than with the other type. In motion the bacon 
pig is animated and free of action, showing lively temperament. 

The head varies rather according to breed. Excessive length 
is undesirable, but the Tamworth often has a very long head. 
A medium length of nose and face is preferred, while a broad 
forehead, with ample width between the eyes, which should be of 
good size and easily seen, denotes a mild disposition. A deep head 
with strong lower jaw is preferred. 

Ears of a fine cjuality, not large, thick, and coarse, but of mod- 
erate thickness, covered with silky hair, attached neatly well up 
on the head, and actively carried are desirable. 

T\\&.ncck tends to be a bit long, but a medium length is sought, 
with not too much width, blending nicely with head and shoulders. 
Tho. joivl lacks the extreme fullness found in the lard hog and is 
free from wrinkles such as often occur with the heavy jowl. This 
part bacon-pig buyers regard as of little importance. 

The shoulders lie well into the body and do not bulge out 
prominently. They should have considerable width and depth, 
with a neat, smooth, not too deep covering of flesh. A good 
specimen of this type never has prominent shoulders. Some extra 
thickness of skin and heaviness is expected with boars, but no 
notable heaviness. 

The forelegs should be well placed, coming down true, either 
viewed from front or side, the knees not " knocking in " and the 
toes turning out but with the pasterns being strongly carried, and 
the pig standing up in shapely form on the toes. A fine, hard 

^78 



THE BACON TYPE OF PIG 779 

bone is very important, as evidenced by clean-cut limbs and smooth 
joints, lacking coarseness and meatiness. A smooth, clean, hard 
bone is evidence of quality and is associated with the better sort 
of dressing out in killing. 

The chest may be compared to that of the race horse. It should 
be deep and full, yet not too broad. As one looks at the front of 
the pig the breast 2X\6. brisket appear full and not peaked. Viewed 




Fig. 358. A shoulder and ham view of the bacon type of pig, showing the 

smooth shoulder and neatly tapering ham. From photograph, by courtesy of 

Professor G. E. Day 

from one side the brisket projects slightly beyond the legs. A 
hidden, retreating brisket indicates a poor constitution. 

The back should be carried level and show no sag, and the width 
should be uniformly maintained from shoulder to ham. A strong, 
nicely arched loin, as wide as any point of the back and smoothly 
fleshed, is important, A thickness of one and one-quarter to one 
and one-half inch of fat along the back is regarded as best on 
the finished pig. The back of this type has a moderately arched rib, 
not fiat, giving a body capacity in harmony with the best feeder. 



78o SWINE 

The sides are a most important part, because from here comes 
the bacon so highly valued in this class. The sides must be long, 
evenly carried from shoulder to ham, be thick and full at flank, 
and of moderate depth. A very deep side of a paunchy character 
provides too much belly or cheap meat. Breeders of bacon hogs, 
however, place a premium on brood sows of great length and 
depth, for these features are associated with high-class breeding 
and feeding capacity. The side must be quite smooth and free of 
wrinkles and be covered evenly with flesh. In touching on this 
subject the IngersoU Packing Company of Canada says: ""The 
packer calls for the long, lean pigs, as they are the ones that suit 
best and are most difficult to procure ; this is the only kind that 
will furnish the desired " Wiltshire side,' and it will also make any 
of the other cuts the market calls for." 

The rump and hams lack the heavy development of the lard 
type, but a level, long, moderately broad rump is important. The 
hams in their lower parts should be long, gradually tapering, not 
necessarily split up high between, with shallow, neatly turned 
twist. They should also be broad from front to rear, with a 
medium thick covering of flesh, tapering to the hocks. 

The Jiind legs should have all the merits of the forelegs in 
bone, quality, and smoothness, and in position of pasterns and 
toes. Besides this the hocks should be well placed, being smooth 
of joint and neither close nor wide behind. 

The quality of the bacon pig is most important. This is seen 
in the clean, smooth bone and joints and the abundant hair, lack- 
ing in coarseness, lying close to the mellow skin. Wrinkles should 
be lacking, and the entire body be smooth and evenly covered 
with flesh in breeding as well as in feeding stock. 

The weight of bacon pigs most acceptable in the market is from 
1 70 to 1 80 pounds, although 200 is not excessive. Danish bacon 
pigs range from 180 to 220 pounds. The larger type is not 
approved in Canada, the smaller being preferred. 

Breeding bacon pigs should show the characteristics associated 
with sex, but in general the above description applies to the bacon 
type. The boar should have a strong, masculine head, neck, and 
shoulder, the sow a smaller, more refined sort, with more depth 
of belly than possessed by boar or barrow. 



THE BACON TYPE OF PIG 781 

The demand for the bacon pig in America has not been very 
active. Only in recent years, perhaps since the beginning of the 
twentieth century, has the American swine producer had his atten- 
tion directed to this type of pig. The British market demands 
superior bacon, and a call for such meat is growing in America. 
Denmark, Ireland, and Canada furnish most of the bacon con- 
sumed in England and Scotland. This bacon shows a liberal mix- 
ture of lean with fat and suits the foreign trade much better than 
the fatter, thicker-fleshed type produced in the Mississippi Valley. 
In spite of the British demand for high-class bacon, neither the 
American pork producer nor the packer has seriously considered 
bacon production of this kind. Without question, however, our 
people are consuming greatly increased amounts of bacon, and the 
demand is steadily growing for a high-class article. The future will 
no doubt show more serious interest in this type of pig in America, 
with a resulting improvement in production of breeding stock. 



CHAPTER LXXVII 

THE LARGE YORKSHIRE 

The ancestry of the Large Yorkshire clearly goes back ovei a 
century. Swine from time immemorial have been known in 
England, and a large, coarse, leggy, narrow-backed, white hog 
was common in early days in that country. In 1789 George Culley 
referred to what is no doubt parent stock of the breed, as follows : 

There was a breed of large white pigs with very large ears hanging over 
their eyes, which a few years ago were very common in many parts of Yorkshire 
and Lancashire. They were very plain, thin, awkward hogs, with very long 
legs, but what distinguished them more were two wattles or dugs, not unlike 
the teats of a cow's udder, which hung down from their throats on each side. 

Early in the nineteenth century Dickson wrote that the old York- 
shire breed was the worst of the large sort, being long legged and 
weak loined, with a constitution not of the soundest kind. These 
were, however, he writes, being improved by Berkshire stock. In 
1842 Low wrote as follows : " In Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, 
and generally in the eastern counties there are breeds of large size, 
of a white color, and with pendent ears. These breeds have been 
cultivated with more or less care, and have all been affected in 
their form and characters by crossing." The white pigs of Cum- 
berland County were also closely related to those of Yorkshire 
and were much intermixed. 

This old type of Yorkshire had a strong coat of white hair, some 
blackish or bluish skin spots covered with white hair, a large, long 
head, big ears, and strong bone. It was slow of maturity and was 
fed up to over eight hundred pounds. 

The modernizing of the Large Yorkshire began about the 
middle of the nineteenth century. Sidney credits the first correct 
movement to improve by using white Leicesters on old York- 
shires. These Leicesters were large, with smaller heads than the 
Yorkshire, had erect ears, were fine of hair and light of bone com- 
pared with the others. This cross was improved by breeding the 

782 



THE LARGE YORKSHIRE 783 

largest and best young sows to Small Yorkshire boars of great 
fattening capacity. The improvement thus effected mainly took 
place sixty or so years ago about the cities of Leeds, Keighley, 
and Skipton in the county of York, and to a considerable extent 
by factory hands and laborers. In 185 1 Joseph Tuley, a weaver 
of Keighley, exhibited a pig at the Royal Agricultural Show at 
W'indsor that attracted great attention, and later his strain of 
Large Yorkshires was very popular, and his pigs sold at high 




Fig. 359. Holywell Royalty II, a fine example of a Large Yorkshire boar. Bred 
and owned by Sanders Spencer, St. Ives, England. From photograph, by courtesy 

of Mr. Spencer 

prices. At this time the pig breeders of Yorkshire and Cumber- 
land kept pedigrees of their pigs, which they printed. The agri- 
cultural societies of the region offered prizes to promote the breed, 
and there was keen competition in the shov; ring. The various 
towns had agricultural societies and shows. Regarding these 
Sidney wrote as follows : 

At these shows there is often a row of twenty or thirty fat pigs, worth 
from ^6 to ^i 2 each, all as white as soap and water can make them, stretched 
on beds of clean straw, with wrappers of some kind to protect them from the 
sun or rain, contending for the first prize, £4 ; second prize, £2 '■> third prize, 
£2 ; fourth prize, ^i. 



784 SWINE 

At this time Yorkshire was credited with being in the first rank 
as a pig-breeding county, having the largest white breed in England 
and the largest hogs in the world. 

The early improvers of the Large Yorkshire may perhaps date 
from Mr. Tuley, as has been indicated. From a sow Matchless and 
a boar Sampson of his breeding came some of his best stock. 
Mr. W. B. Wainman of Carhead, Yorkshire, used hogs of Tuley 
blood and added to the merits of the breed, for he produced stock 




Fig. 360. Roger (7203), first-prize aiui cnampion i.aige Vorkshire boar and winner 

of the Berkshire Society gold medal at the Royal Agricultural Society of England 

Show, 1904. Owned by the Earl of Ellesmere. From photograph, by courtesy of 

William Cooper & Nephews, Berkhampstead, England 

of much quality and sent them to various parts of the world. In 
his herd selected pigs by careful feeding would attain a weight of 
about five hundred pounds in twelve months. Besides Tuley and 
Wainman numerous others have long bred and improved this 
breed, notably Sanders Spencer of St. Ives, Huntingdon County, 
who for a half century was a most distinguished breeder. 

The introduction of the Large Yorkshire to the United States 
occurred prior to 1840, and in 1841 a pair was imported by 
A. B. Allen and brought to Ohio. Undoubtedly specimens of 
this breed have been brought to America from time to time for 
over a century. In 1893 Wilcox and Liggett of Minnesota im- 
ported some of the more modern type, and from this and Canadian 



THE LARGE YORKSHIRE 785 

stock have come most of the present Large Yorkshire stock in 
this countr)'. The people of Canada have been breeding York- 
shires for many years, and the most important herds in America 
are in that country. 

The important characteristics of the Large Yorkshire are as 
follows : the head is medium long and should have but little up- 
ward curve. Some prefer a lengthy head, but modern ideas object 
to too much extension. A broad, strong underjaw is desired. 




Fig. 361. l,arge ^orkshire brood sows owned by Chivers & Sons, Histon, England. 
These are very large sows of much excellence. From photograph by the author 

The ears tend to be heavy and droop forward. They should 
be fine, of medium size, and be carried well upward but pointing 
forward slightly. Loppy ears are objectionable. 

The body should have considerable length. The back is not 
broad like that of the Poland-China, but should be of fair and 
uniform width with considerable depth, the sides being long 
and deep at the flanks and full between shoulder and hip. From 
the American point of view this breed tends to have a weak loin 
and too narrow a back. 

The hams are not expected to be extremely fat and heavy, 
but should be of good size and thickness, with the thighs well 
carried down. Thin thighs and cow hocks are very common 
with this type of hog but are not admired by critics. 



786 SWINE 

The legs should be of medium length with good bone. The 
tendency is towards an undesirably long leg, whereas its length 
at maturity should not exceed the depth of body. It is also 
important that the legs come down straight and be free of kneeing 
or hocking-in. 

The color of the hair should be white on every part of the 
body. Bluish or blackish spots occur occasionally on the skin 
under this white hair, and, while objected to by fanciers, do not 
affect purity of breeding, neither do they disqualify registration. 
The skin should be pink and healthy. White pigs in America, 
especially in the sunny West and South, tend to scurfiness of skin 
and sun scald, which causes them to be more or less unpopular. 

The type of the Large Yorkshire pig fashionable in the show 
yard, says Sanders Spencer,^ varies. 

The chief points to be caught are length and depth of body, thickness of 
flank, length of hind quarters and squareness of hams, lightness of fore quarters, 
the head being generally of fair length, lightness in the jowl, and width between 
the eyes. The bone and skin should be firm and the hair straight and silky. 

Although there have been the usual variations in the type and form of the 
Large White pig of the day, the general character of the pig of the breed 
which was most in demand by practical men is still preferred by the bacon- 
curer and the purveyor of pork. Among the changes noticed during the last 
thirty years was the reversion for a brief period to the thick, compact type, 
after some dissatisfaction had been created by the cultivation of length of head 
and leg and strength of bone. A number of Large Yorkshires of this latter 
type were exported to the United States some twenty-five years ago, with 
results most unfortunate to the breed. 

The size of the Large Yorkshire places this breed in the first 
rank. Long writes of a Wainman sow that weighed 1 203 pounds. 
In 1901 several sows of the breed were exhibited at the Inter- 
national Live-Stock Exposition which weighed over 1000 pounds 
each. Mr. Spencer, in reply to a letter from Professor Long, says: 

The Large Whites reach, in the heaviest animals, 12 stone (168 pounds) at 
six months old; at nine months, 20 stone to 25 stone (280-350 pounds); at 
twelve months, 30 stone (420 pounds) ; and at eighteen months, 45 stone (630 
pounds). . . . Sampson VI, a boar bred and exhibited by myself, and winner at 
the Royal two years in succession, weighed, alive, 9| hundredweight (1092 
pounds) at twenty-three months, and was light in bone and carried but little offal. 

1 CoiuiUy Gentleman^ November 23, 191 2. 



THE LARGE YORKSHIRE 



787 



While the market demand for breeding stock is for good-sized 
animals at maturity, excessive weight is undesirable. A boar in 
moderate flesh that weighs 700 pounds would be very acceptable, 
while 600 pounds for a sow in breeding condition would meet 
with most requirements. There are now comparatively few of this 
very large, coarse type of pig. 

Early maturity with the Large Yorkshire is not a characteristic 
feature. The pigs grow well, but do not fatten and mature after the 
manner of the lard type of pigs. The Yorkshire keeps growing 
when other breeds fatten and finish. So far as weight is concerned, 




Fig. 362. A pure-bred Large Yorkshire barrow about six months old, one of 
the champion pen of the breed in 1905 at the International Live-Stock Expo- 
sition, Chicago. Bred and exhibited by Ohio State University. From photograph 

by the author 



of pigs of several breeds farrowed at the same date and carried 
along under similar conditions for six months, the Yorkshire will 
very likely weigh decidedly the most. Feeders in the corn belt, used 
to pigs that will finish off in eight months, find the Large York- 
shire slow to mature. In fact, having a leaner inheritance, it cannot 
be expected to fatten and mature in the manner of the lard hog. 

Large Yorkshire crossbreds are a very superior type. The 
Yorkshire boar bred to either Poland-China or Berkshire sows 
produces most excellent feeders. In experiments conducted by 
the author with this combination the pigs grew rapidly, fed 
extremely well, finished off smoothly, and produced the best sort 
of meat. At the International Live-Stock Exposition there have 



788 SWINE 

been shown model porkers, the progeny of Yorkshire boars, out 
of lard-type sows. In numerous crossbreds examined the interest- 
ing fact has been brought out that the white color of the York- 
shire is almost invariably dominant. This demonstrates the 
prepotency and fixity of character of the breed. The use of 
Large Yorkshire boars on our typical American sows should not 
only give larger and better frames but produce most desirable 
feeders and also increase the size of litters and thus improve the 
defective fecundity of many sows. 

The reputation of the Large Yorkshire as a bacon producer 
is of the first class. For many years it has been the standard 
British breed used in bacon production. Further, Large York- 
shire boars on common sows have sired a large percentage of 
the British bacon stock. In placing the Irish bacon industry on 
a substantial basis. Large Yorkshires were relied upon to furnish 
the type of carcass most desired. Considerable numbers of boars 
and sows of this breed have been exported from England to 
Denmark and Sweden. Bacon production is one of the great 
industries of Denmark, and here the Large Yorkshire boar is 
extensively crossed on ordinary Danish sows. Canadian packing 
establishments also not only advocate the Yorkshire as a high- 
class bacon breed but they have furthermore taken an active 
part in placing pure-bred boars among farmers engaged in supply- 
ing them with hogs. Some years ago W. H. Fisher, prominent 
as a breeder of Large Yorkshires, addressed letters to a number 
of American packers for their opinions on the merits of Yorkshire 
bacon. Armour & Company replied : 

Within the last four or five years we have not been able to produce sufficient 
prime bacon to satisfy the demands of our customers. This coupled with the 
high standard of prices of the past few years would justify the breeders and 
feeders of Yorkshire hogs to increase their output. Another encouragement 
is the constant demand for hogs of the bacon type throughout the year ; other 
types are wanted at periods, but well-fed bacon hogs can be sold at a premium 
any time they are placed in the market. 

John Morrell & Company of Liverpool, England, but having a 
packing-house in Iowa, wrote as follows : 

We have for j'ears distributed Yorkshire boars within the limits of our 
territory, and we pay a premium of twenty-five cents per hundred pounds 



THE LARGE YORKSHIRE 789 

for pure Yorkshires or good grades. Our reason for doing this is that it is 
the recognized type of hog for making English meat and the best grade of 
American breakfast bacon. 

The Large Yorkshires as killers dress out only just fair. 
Sanders Spencer credits the breed with dressing "j^ to 82 per 
cent. At the Ontario Provincial Winter Fair in 1901 the aver- 
age percentage of dressed weight of the Yorkshire carcass was 
78.4. It is well established that the older and fatter hog dresses 
out the heaviest per cent of carcass to offal. Within the breed 
the percentage of dressing will depend on the degree of fatness, 
and inasmuch as bacon hogs never carry so great an amount of 
fat as do those of the lard type, one should not expect them to 
dress equally high. There are comparatively few records of carcass 
contests in which Large Yorkshires have participated. 

The Large Yorkshires as feeders have not given equal satisfac- 
tion in America. They tend to grow, rather than fatten, as the corn- 
belt farmer desires ; and while they will attain plenty of weight, 
they will not feed off to an early finish along with a Poland- 
China or Chester White. It is for this reason that so many farmers 
have discontinued feeding Large Yorkshires. They want what 
they regard as an easier feeder, quite losing sight of the purpose 
for which this breed is best adapted. Professor G. E. Day is a 
recognized Canadian authority on bacon production, and he states : ^ 

From a bacon curer's standpoint, Large Yorkshires will reach desirable market 
weight and condition at as early an age as any existing breed, and there are few 
breeds that will equal them in this respect. . . . From the fact that it grows 
rapidly and develops bone and muscle more rapidly than it forms fat, feeders are 
inclined to regard the Large Yorkshire as an expensive hog to feed ; but experi- 
ments go to show that such is not the case, and that, under most circumstances, 
it is capable of giving as large gains for feed consumed as any other breed. 

Corn exclusively is not recommended for this breed, but when 
fed good grain mixtures, such as corn, oats, and middlings, satis- 
factory results follow. 

The Yorkshire as a grazer is of secondary importance. In 
those countries where this breed is common, grazing of swine is 
rarely practiced. These pigs, however, will do very well on pasture 
as provided by the American feeder. 

^ Productive Swine Husbandry (1913), p. 94. 



790 



SWINE 



The Large Yorkshire as a prolific breed stands in the front 
rank. The females from very early days have been noted for pro- 
ducing large litters. Long refers to a sow of Wainman breeding 
that reared 153 pigs in 13 litters, while one of her daughters 
raised 33 pigs in 3 litters. Richard Gibson, formerly a prominent 
Canadian breeder, owned an imported sow that produced 96 pigs 
in three years without the least apparent injury to her constitution. 
James Howard, long an English Yorkshire breeder of prominence, 
prefers sows of this breed to have twelve teats and emphasizes the 




Fig. 363. Holywell Rosador, a Middle White boar, first prize in 1899 at the Royal 
Counties Show and at the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland Show. 
Bred and exhibited by Saunders Spencer, St. Ives, England. From photograph 

by the author 

importance of her being a good milker. In the herd of the Ohio 
State University 17 sows in 38 litters farrowed 436 pigs, an aver- 
age of 11.47 to the litter. There were but 6 litters of less than 
10 each, while the largest litter in the 38 was 18. 

The popularity of the Large Yorkshire in the United States is 
quite restricted, and the breed during the years has not grown 
much in favor. Among those breeding Large Yorkshires are very 
few who have given much publicity to their operations. Without 
question this is a breed of distinct merit in bacon production and 
in farrowing large litters. Its slow fattening character, its usual 
lean, long, narrow, leggy type, and its white color furnish more or 
less of the objection of the Western pork producer. However, in 



THE LARGE YORKSHIRE 



791 



view of the great increase in the use of bacon, it is surprising that 
more people have not taken up the Large Yorkshire for its produc- 
tion. If good-sized hogs of the right type were selected, no doubt 
the breed would steadily grow in popular favor, as, indeed, it should. 
It may be classed as one of the world's great breeds of swine. 

The distribution of the Large Yorkshire is very widespread. It 
is the leading breed of England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and 
Denmark, and has had a wide distribution in continental Europe. 
Sanders Spencer has exported them from England to forty-six 
different countries, embracing Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and 
North and South America. In the United States, Yorkshires are 
bred to a limited extent in Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, 
New York, and elsewhere. In recent years important herds have 
been established in Ohio. 

The American Yorkshire Club was organized in 1893 for the 
promotion of the breed. The official headquarters have long 
been in Minnesota, Up to January i, 1920, five herdbooks had 
been published, in which were also registered a small number of 
Middle and Small Yorkshires, these being grouped as Class A 
and the Large Yorkshires as Class B. In Canada these pigs are 
recorded in the Canadian Swine Breeders' Record, published by 
the government. In Volume XXIX, for 1918, the registration of 
Large Yorkshires concludes with the grand-total number 62747. 
In England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, Yorkshires are recorded 
by the National Pig Breeders' Association. 

Middle Whites, as they are known in Great Britain, represent 
a special type of Yorkshire. They have a shorter, wider, and more 
dished face, a broader back, heavier shoulders and hams, and com- 
monly carry more fat or condition than does the true type of Large 
Yorkshire. Middle Whites may come from Large Yorkshire litters, 
being selections of the correct form, or they may result from cross- 
ing the small type of Yorkshire boars on large sows. The Middle 
White is recognized as a breed in Britain though not in America. 
A distinct tendency exists among Yorkshire breeders in the United 
States to breed along the Middle White type, and without doubt 
many such pigs are registered in the American herdbook. With 
no other breed of swine exhibited at American shows is it so essen- 
tial for the judge to draw a sharp line of discrimination on type. 



CHAPTER LXXVIII 

THE TAM WORTH 

The native home of the Tamworth is the counties of Stafford, 
Leicester, Northampton, and Warwick in central England, but 
notably in Stafford. This is generally a rolling but not very hilly 
region, with a temperate, moist climate. The name of the breed 
is taken from the town of Tamworth, located partly in Stafford- 
shire and partly in Warwickshire. Sidney, in 1871, says, "the 
Staffordshire breed is the " Tamworth.' " 

The ancestry of the Tamworth pig is obscure. Tradition and 
history refer to a pig of Tamworth type existing early in the last 
century. Most writers on the pig say but little of this breed, and 
we know almost nothing of its early development. Spencer states 
that this is one of the oldest English varieties, which fed in large 
droves on oak and beech mast in the forests of the midland coun- 
ties even before the battle of Waterloo. In an address before a 
breeders' association at Detroit in 1899, Mr. E. N. Ball stated 
that the breed was introduced into England from Ireland by Sir 
Robert Peel about 18 12, but the author has found no evidence 
elsewhere to support this statement. 

The early type of Tamworth was long of leg and snout, narrow 
of back, and shallow of body, slow to mature, very active and 
hardy, and usually of a sandy or reddish color. 

The improvement of the Tamworth came with the conversion 
of England into a cultivated region, when farmers wanted a less 
active type of pig. The opinion seems to prevail that this breed 
was mainly improved by selection, the breeders seeking to secure 
a quieter type, fattening more rapidly than of old and yet retain- 
ing the characteristic color. In 1886 Mr. F. C. Fidgeon of Tam- 
worth, England, who had a considerable knowledge of the breed, 
informed Professor Long that in the nearly sixty years he had 
known the Tamworth he had never noticed so great a change as 
from about 1880 to 1886. 

792 



THE TAMWORTH 793 

A generation ago [he says] they were a lean pig, of a very dark red color, 
which never varied in shade and were provided with a very long snout. Of 
late the color has altered in shade, having become a sandy or lighter red, a 
point which is apparently growing in favor, although I question very much 
whether this color is as pure as the original dark red, for I believe it has been 
obtained by a not very distant cross with a white pig. 

Spencer has also suggested the white cross and NeapoHtan cross. 
For years the breed was almost unnoticed. In comparatively 
recent years it has received renewed attention for its bacon value. 




Fig. 364. A Tamwuiili buai, winner of first prize in class at the 1904 show of the 
Royal Agricultural Society of England. Exhibited by Robert Ibbotson. From 
photograph, by courtesy of William Cooper & Nephews, Berkhampstead, England 

In 1847 a Tarn worth sow won first honors at the show of the 
Royal Agricultural Society of England, but the breed was not 
given a special class recognition until 1885. At the 19 14 Royal 
Show there were entered 42 exhibits of Tamworths, as compared 
with 132 of Large Yorkshires. 

The introduction of the Tamworth to America is generally 
credited to Mr. Thomas Bennett of Rossville, Illinois, who im- 
ported some pure-bred pigs in 1882. Professor Shaw states that 
since 1888 large numbers have been introduced into Canada. Most 
of the importations to the United States have been from Canada. 

Characteristics of the Tamworth. The color is red, varying in 
shade from light to dark, "a golden red hair on a flesh-colored 



794 SWINE 

skin free from black" being preferred. Inform the Tamworth 
is large, lean in type, and long in head, body, and leg. The head 
is a very striking feature, being notably long, inclined to be narrow, 
and with a large snout, which is usually straight. The National 
Pig Breeders' Association standard of excellence specifies that the 
snout should be " moderately long and quite straight," with the 
" face slightly dished " and " wide between ears." The ears 
should be rather large, but not coarse, and should stand erect or 
lean but slightly forward, not breaking over. It is not uncommon 
to see Tamworths with coarse, long heads and large, heavy, poorly 
carried ears, and these make an unpleasant impression on the 
beholder. The modern type of Tamworth is free of all coarseness 
of head. The back and loi7i tend to be narrow, but show consider- 
able length. It is important that the sides be long and deep, 
though too frequently they lack in the latter respect, as based on 
American standards. It is highly important that the shoulders be 
fine and deeply laid in, and the ha7?is "broad and full, well let 
down to the hocks," yet without the roundness or plumpness of 
the lard type. The legs should be strong, neat, not too long, and 
be " set well outside of the body." In judging Tamworths emphasis 
should be placed on smoothness, trimness, firm flesh, and quality. 
In tempe7'ament individuals of this breed are usually very active, 
almost to the point of restlessness, although the disposition is 
mild. The National Pig Breeders' Association of Great Britain 
lists the following as objectionable points in the Tamworth : 
" Black hair, very light or ginger hair, curly coat, coarse mane, 
black spots on skin, slouch or drooping ears, short or turned up 
snout, heavy shoulders, wrinkled skin, inbent knees, and hollow- 
ness back of shoulders." 

The size of the Tamworth classes it among the large breeds 
of swine. The average mature boar will probably weigh about 
600 pounds, with sows approximating 450 pounds. Boars have 
been exhibited in recent years at American fairs that are said to 
have weighed up toward 1000 pounds. The Buffalo Revieiv 
(August 17, 1899) refers to a Tamworth boar in England, under 
three years of age, which alive weighed 1607 pounds and 
dressed 1330 pounds. Such a weight as this last is open to 
question and is given here simply as evidence of the reputed 



THE TAMWORTH 795 

large size of the Tarn worth. At six months of age, pigs should 
weigh about 175 pounds, and 300 pounds at twelve months. 

The Tamworth as a bacon pig ranks very high. The claim is 
made that owing to dissatisfaction with the fat quality of bacon 
produced in the average pig in England along in the early eighties, 
the Tamworth came to the front to supply the necessary lean 
meat. The sides are long and (in good specimens) deep and have 
a superior admixture of lean and fat of highly acceptable quality. 
Professor Day states ^ that " the Tamworth produces bacon of 
exceptionally fine quality, well mixed with lean, and fine in the 
grain." 

The maturing quality of the Tamworth is inferior, probably be- 
ing less forward in development than any other breed in America. 
While growth is constantly made, an early-finished, matured prod- 
uct does not usually obtain. However, some British feeders have 
argued that the Tamworth will mature early. Mr. G. M. Allen- 
der, long a famous British breeder, says : "I find that the Tam- 
worths feed earl)', and I have hams now hanging which exceed 
20 pounds each in weight, smoked and dried, although they 
were cut from pigs which were only twenty-seven weeks old." 
This hardly seems credible. Mitchell Brothers of Birmingham, 
who won first prize at the Birmingham Fat-Stock Show in 1884, 
informed Professor Long that the Tamworths they exhibited were 
only five and one-half months old and weighed 12 score per pig, 
or 240 pounds. These pigs were from a sow twelve months old at 
farrowing. Professor G. E. Day specifies that for a bacon carcass 
fit for export the Tamworth will mature at as early an age as any 
other breed. This will not apply, however, where fat production 
is involved. 

The feeding quality of the Tamworth is fairly good, the pig 
making considerable growth for the food fed. Mr. E. N. Ball of 
Michigan reports on 3 pigs about sixteen weeks old, which during 
ninety-seven days gained a total of 340 pounds from 1224 pounds 
of grain, or 100 pounds of gain for 360 pounds of feed. Rommel, 
of the United States Department of Agriculture, averaging the 
results of feeding six breeds as brought out in representative 
tests by experiment stations, shows that in sixteen tests involving 
1 Productive Swine Husbandry (1913), p- loi. 



796 



SWINE 



92 Tamvvorths it required 344 pounds of feed for 100 pounds gain 
live weight, less than was required for any other breed. In the 
Iowa- feeding trials on breeds three experiments were conducted, 
showing daily gains for Tamworths of 1.77 and 1.05 pounds 
respectively, the average cost per pound of gain being 2.42 cents, 
ranking fifth in cost of production among the breeds. The Iowa 
experiments also showed that the Tamworths dressed out in carcass 
very well, the average being 78.46 per cent for 14 pigs, comparing 
creditably with five other breeds and surpassing three of them. 




Fig. 365. Springbrook Nell, a successful prize-winning Tamworth sow at many 
state fairs. Owned by W. W. Morton, Russellville, Kentucky. From photograph 

by the author 

At the Ontario Agricultural College, in comparisons of six breeds, 
covering five years of feeding, 390.17 pounds meal were required 
for 100 pounds gain, this being the best showing made by any breed 
but the Berkshire. 

The crossbred or grade Tamworth has considerable merit. Tam- 
worth boars on Berkshire sows are a favorite cross with some 
feeders in T^ngland. When bacon curers complained of Berkshires 
fattening too heavily, the Tamworth cross was resorted to with de- 
sirable results. Long reports that the Messrs. Mitchell during two 
years bred and fed 300 pigs, all by Tamworth boars from Berk- 
shire and Yorkshire sows that averaged 200 to 240 pounds weight 
under nine months old. Tamworth boars bred on the fat type of 



THE TAMWORTH 



797 



American sows will produce a very attractive, easy-feeding, highly 
marketable porker. A Champaign County (Ohio) farmer, K. S; 
Hawk, produced feeding shoats with much success, using a Tam- 
worth boar on grade Duroc-Jersey sows. In January he shipped 
forty-six April, May, and June pigs that averaged 318 pounds and 
brought $6.80 straight at Cleveland, 13 cents over the general 
market. The Tamworth, being very prepotent, sires offspring 
uniformly red in color and, when mated with the lard-type female, 
produces a very neat and attractive killer that dresses out well. 

The fecundity of the Tamworth is a striking feature of the 
breed. Mr. Fidgeon reports his sows as usually bringing from ten 
to fifteen pigs at a litter. It is generally conceded in Britain that 
the Tamworth is unsurpassed for fecundity and size of litter. One 
of the quoted objections to the breed in England was that it was 
too prolific, the sows bringing 50 per cent too many young ones. 
Professor H. M. Cottrell writes : ^ 

The two strongest characteristics of the Tamworth are lean meat and large 
litters. For two years on the agricultural college (Colorado) farm, the average for 
all sows was 10 live pigs to a litter. A two-year-old sow, weighing 750 pounds, 
had 18 live pigs at one farrowing. Fully matured sows, well cared for, can 
produce two litters a year. A Tamworth sow at the Iowa Agricultural College 
raised 33 pigs in one year. 

It is this highly important quality of fecundity which has furnished 
important arguments for Tamworth breeders in behalf of the breed. 
The sows make excellent mothers and, as might be expected in 
this type, produce an abundance of milk. 

The Tamworth as a grazer ranks very high. While not used as 
a grazing pig in its native home, in the United States it has proved 
very satisfactory in this respect. The pigs are hardy and naturally 
adapt themselves to clover or rape or any other pasture suited to 
swine. Day states ^ that the Tamworth, like the Large Yorkshire, 
" is probably rather better adapted to pen feeding than to pastur- 
ing " ; however, these hogs have grazed well at several experi- 
mental farms in the United States. The late Professor John A. 
Craig states '"^ that the Tamworth holds first rank in this respect. 

' Indiana Farmer, July 4, igoS. 

2 Productive Swine Husbandry (1913), p. 100. 

^ A'aiional Swine Magazine, July, 1909. 



79B SWINE 

Too frequently it is this excellent quality of the breed that induces growers 
to choose them in preference to others on the supposition that during the busy 
summer season, when the work of cultivating and harvesting the crops is 
crowding all hands on the farm, they will take care of themselves and grow 
just as good as ever. 

Criticisms of the Tamworth. Several characteristics of the 
Tamworth have caused unfavorable comment in America. The 
long head, narrow back, short ribs, and long legs are not looked 
upon with favor by American breeders. They will not accept the 
Tamworth, regarding it as an unprofitable feeder and an undesir- 
able type. However, if one will select the more approved type, 
with good depth of body, long smooth sides, and superior quality, 
such as has been produced to a fair degree in recent years, this criti- 
cism will not hold good. There has been a tendency to be unfair 
in criticism of the Tamworth, which the author feels convinced 
is based on old rather than on new standards. It is the heavy- 
headed, long-legged, rough sort that lias caused this criticism. If 
buyers will be discriminating they will have no difficulty to-day in 
securing a class of Tamworths that in good hands should do well. 
The present-day bacon demand justifies the use of the breed. 

The distribution of the Tamworth is ver\' limited. The breed 
is kept in a small way in England, and the same applies to Canada 
and the United States. Specimens are not shown in great num- 
bers at the important stock shows of England or in this countr)\ 
The principal herds in America are found in Ontario, Canada, 
and in the United States, more especially in Kentucky, Iowa, 
Illinois, Kansas, Texas, Wisconsin, and Ohio. 

Organizations to promote Tamworths exist in England in the 
authority of the National Pig Breeders' Association of Great 
Britain and, in America, in the American Tamworth Swine 
Record Association, the latter being organized in Michigan in 
1897. The American association up to 19 19 has published four 
small herd records. The Dominion Swine Breeders' Association 
of Canada also registers this breed under government supervision. 



INDEX 



Aaggie family, 373 

Aberdeen-Angus bullock, crossbred or 
grade, 2Q2 

Aberdeen-Angus cattle, 279; character- 
istics, 284; color, 285; distribution, 
299; earliest improvers, 280; fami- 
lies, 293 ; introduction to America, 
283 ; maturing qualities, 287 ; as milk, 
producers, 288; native home, 279; 
organizations promoting, 299 ; origin, 
279; prices, 297; as producers of 
beef, 289; prolificacy, 288; weight, 
286 

Aberdeen-Angus steers, prices, 298 

Action, of Clydesdale, 137; of draft 
horse, 94 ; of heavy harness horse, 
67; of light harness horse, 43; of 
Shire, 153 

Adaptability, of American Merino, 505 ; 
of Berkshire, 698; of Brown Swiss, 
468; of Chester White, 744; of De- 
laine Merino, 518; of Duroc-Jersey, 
715; of Hampshire pig, 755; of 
Holstein-Friesian, 365 ; of Jersey, 
330; of Poland-China, 728; of 
Shorthorn, 239; of Southdown, 547 

Adney, George, 554 

Advanced Registry of American 
Guernsey Cattle Club, 396 ; of Ayr- 
shire Breeders' Association, 417; of- 
ficial testing of Holstein-Friesians 
for, 367; requirements for Holstein- 
Friesians in, 367 

African Wild Ass, 182 

Age attained by milch goats, 680 

Aguirre Merinos, 491 

Amalgamation of Suffolk and Norfolk 
Red Polled cattle, 452 

America, Clydesdales of merit in, 144; 
demand for bacon pig in, 781 ; 
distribution of jacks and jennets in, 
191 ; early foundation improvers of 
Merino in, 497; early use of trotter 
in, 44; first Clydesdales brought to, 
13S; first Shorthorns imported to, 
224; history of Suffolk horse in, 
161 ; importation of milch goats to, 
681; importation of Shires to, 152; 



noted jacks in, 189; popularity of 
Devon in, 479; present-day recog- 
nition of Arab horse in, 14; use of 
Shetland pony in, 178 

America, introduction to, of Angora 
goat, 667; of Arab horse, 10; of 
Ayrshire, 414; of Belgian horse, 
124; of Berkshire, 693; of Black- 
faced Highland, 652 ; of Brown Swiss, 
464; of Cleveland Bay, 85; of 
Devon, 475; of Dexter, 442 ; of Dor- 
set Horn, 587; of Dutch Belted, 
428; of Essex, 775; of Galloway, 
302 ; of German coach horse, 82 ; of 
Guernsey, 389; of Hackney, 72; of 
Hampshire Down sheep, 578; of 
Hampshire pig, 751; of Hereford, 
256; of Holstein-Friesian, 358; of 
jack; 188; of Jersey, 327; of Kara- 
kul, 660; of Kerry, 438; of Large 
Black, 762; of Leicester, 620; of 
Lincoln, 637; of Mule-Foot, 759; 
of Oxford Down, 568; of Red 
Polled, 452 ; of Small Yorkshire, 
770; of Southdown, 540; of Suffolk 
sheep, 607; of Tamworth, 793; of 
Tunis, 613; of West Highland, 311 

American French Coach studbook, 81 

American jack, 185 

American Jersey families, 34 

American Merino, 488; size, 500; as a 
wool producer, 501 

American, or lard, type of pig, 683 

American Percheron horse associations, 
116 

American saddle horse, 31 ; ancestry, 
31; characteristics, 33; color, 34; 
native home, 31; noteworthy mares, 
38; prices, 38; prominent sires, 38; 
size, 33 ; two notable families, 36 ; 
value of Thoroughbred in develop- 
ing, 32 

American Saddle Horse Breeders' As- 
sociation, 39 

American trotter and pacer, 44 

American Yorkshire club, 791 

Ancestry of Tamworth pig, 792 

Andalusian jack, 183 



799 



8 00 



INDEX 



Anglo-Nubian goat, 678 

Angora, varieties of goats in, 666 

Angora goat, 666 ; characteristics, 668 ; 
distribution, 671; ileece, 668; intro- 
duction to America, 667; native 
home, 666; official promotion, 672; 
origin, 666; as producer of mutton, 
670; prices, 671; as renovator of 
brush land, 670; shelter for, 671; 
varieties, 666; weight, 670 

Angus. See Aberdeen-Angus 

Anna tribe, 215 

Anxiety family, 265 

Appearance of American pig, 683 

Arab horse, 7 ; characteristics, 9 ; five 
great original families, 8 ; influence 
of, 11; introduction of, to America, 
10; notable individuals, 13; origin of 
pure, 7; present-day recognition, 14; 
societies, 16; value of, in crossbreed- 
ing, 13 

Arab pony, 173 

Ardennais, 119 

Arms and forearms of light harness 
horse, 41 

Asiatic Wild ass or Kiang, 182 

Ass, 182; African Wild, 182; ancestry, 
182; Asiatic Wild, or Kiang, 182; 
characteristics of domestic, 183; Per- 
sian Wild, 182 

Association, American Saddle Horse 
Breeders', 39 ; American Tunis Sheep 
Breeders', 617; Cheshire Swine 
Breeders', 769 

Associations, American Percheron horse, 
116; Hampshire Down, 585; for 
promoting jacks and jennets, 191 ; 
to promote Shire horse, 159 

A-type Merino, 482 

Augusta tribe, 223 

Australia, modern type of Merino in, 
499 ; popular type of Merino in, 500 

Australian Merino, 494 

Ayrshire cattle, 412; characteristics, 
414; color, 415; crossbred or grade, 
417; distribution, 425; early improv- 
ers, 413; early maturity, 417; in- 
troduction to America, 414; milk for 
cheese-making, 422; as milk pro- 
ducers, 419; native home, 412; or- 
ganizations promoting, 426; origin, 
412; prepotency, 417; prices, 424; 
as producers of beef, 423 ; public 
tests, 422; size, 416; temperament 
and disposition, 417; ten leading 
butter-fat records, 421; ten leading 



milk records, 420; ten leading sires, 
424 
Ayrshire Breeders' Associations, Ad- 
vanced Registry, 417 

Babraham, 53S 

Bacon, reputation of Large Yorkshire 
for, 788 

Bacon pig in America, breeding, 780; 
demand for, 781 ; Tamworth as, 
795 ; weight, 780 

Bacon-type pig, 778 

Bakewell, Robert, 618; Shire improved 
by, 149 

Bar None, 156 

Baron of Buchlyvie, 143 

Baron's Pride, 143 

Bates, Thomas, 212 

Bayard, 130 

Beau Donald family, 266 

Beautiful Bells, 56 

Bedford, or Bedfordshire, pig, 721 

Beef, Aberdeen-Angus as producer of, 
289; Ayrshire as producer of, 423; 
Brown Swiss as producer of, 471 ; 
Dutch Belted as producer of, 431; 
Jersey as producer of, 332; Red 
Polled as producer of, 455; Short- 
horn as producer of, 231; West 
Highland as producer of, 313 

Beef animal, fleshing, 206 ; general ap- 
pearance, 201 ; quahty, 205 

Beef production, Guernsey in, 395 

Beef-type cattle, 201 ; compared with 
dual-purpose, 447 

Belgian government, methods em- 
ployed by, to encourage horse breed- 
ing, 122 

Belgian horses, 121; characteristics, 
125; color, 126; crossbred, 128; dis- 
tribution, 131; exhibitors of, in 
United States, 133 ; foundation sires, 
129; height and weight, 127; intro- 
duction to America, 124; maturing 
quality, 128; native home, 121; no- 
table recent-day, 130; organizations 
for promoting, 131; prices, 131 
temperament, 127 

Belgium, draft-horse shows in, 132 
horse production in, 121; influence 
of World War on horse in, 133 
stud fees in, 124; two breeds of 
horses of ancient origin in, 121 

Bellfounder, 45 

Belted, or sheeted, pig, recognition of, 



INDEX 



80 1 



Berkshire pig, 6S9; adaptability, 698; 
characteristics, 604; color, 694; 
crossbred or grade, 700; distribu- 
tion, 704; element in Poland-China 
evolution, 722 ; families, 702 ; famous 
boars, 702; as feeder, 697; first 
improvement of native, 690; foun- 
dation of breed, 680; as grazer, 697; 
important early British improvers, 
693; introduction to America, 693; 
maturing qualities, 698; native 
home, 689 ; older type, 691 ; organi- 
zations promoting, 704 ; prepotency, 
702 ; prices, 703 ; prolificacy, 701 ; 
quaUty of pork, 699 ; size, 696 ; as 
source of red swine, 706 

Big China pig, 722 

Birdsall Menestrel, 158 

Blackbird family, 294 

Blackcap family, 296 

Black-faced Highland sheep, 651 ; 
characteristics, 652 ; crossbred or 
grade, 653; distribution, 654; intro- 
duction to America, 652 ; native 
home, 651; origin, 651; prices, 654; 
as producer of wool, 653 ; pro- 
motion, 654 ; quality of mutton, 653 ; 
size, 653 ; special field, 654 

Black pig. See Large Black 

Black-Top Spanish Delaine, character- 
istics, 514 

Black-Top Spanish Merino, 513 

Blake strain, 160 

Boars, famous Berkshire, 702 

Bonnie Lassie family, 401 

Booth family, 214 

Booth, John, 214 

Booth, Richard, 214 

Booth, Thomas, 214 [626 

Border Leicester rams on Cheviot ewes, 

Border Leicester sheep, 624; character- 
istics, 625 

Boulonnais, 118 

Bracelet tribe, 216 

Brawith Bud tribe, 219 

Breeders, early constructive Hereford, 

253 

Breeding bacon pig, 780 

Breeding in Germany, early records 
of horse, 82 

Breeding qualities, of American 
Merino, 505 ; of Cotswold, 634 ; of 
Delaine Merino, 517; of Leicester, 
624; of Lincoln, 642; of Rambouil- 
let, 529; of Southdown, 547; of 
West Highland, 315 



Breeding of Southdown by English 
nobility, 539 

Breeding three types of Merinoes, 483 

Breeds, of cattle in Holland at present 
day, 357; of French Draft horses, 
distinct, 118; of horses of ancient 
origin in Belgium, two, 121; or 
varieties of milk-producing goats, 
674 

Breton, 119 

Brilliant, 130 

British improvers of Berkshire, impor- 
tant early, 693 

British thoroughbreds, list of famous, 

, 23 

B roadbooks tribe, 219 

Bronchos, Indian ponies, mustangs, 173 

Broomfield Champion, 141 

Brown Swiss cattle, 463 ; adaptability, 
468; as beef producers, 471; 
characteristics, 464; color, 466; 
crossing or grading, 467; distribu- 
tion, 471; introduction to America, 
464; milk production, 468; native 
home, 463 ; origin, 463 ; prepotency, 
467; promotion, 472; register of 
production, 470; size, 466 

Brush land. Angora as renovator of, 
670 

B-type Merino, 482 

Buena Vista, 189 

Bullock, crossbred or grade Aberdeen- 
Angus, 292 

Bulls of distinction, Galloway, 309; 
Jersey, 346 ; leading imported Jer- 
sey, 349; leading native Jersey, 348 

Bury Chief Victor, 157 

Butcher's beast, Devon as, 477 

Butter-fat producers. Guernseys, 398; 
Holstein-Friesians, 370; Jerseys, 334; 
Red Polled, 457 

Butter-fat production, Ayrshire, 421 

Butter-fat records, of ten leading Ayr- 
shire cows, 421; leading Guernsey, 
400; leading semiofficial Holstein- 
Friesian, 370; of Shorthorn cows, 
important, 238 

Butter-fat tests, of Jersey cows, au- 
thenticated, 336; for ten leading 
Jersey cows for one year, 337 

Butter tests of Jerseys, private, 335 ■ 

Byerly Turk, 19 

Byfield pig, 722 

Cambridge Rose Tribe, 213 

Canadian cattle. See French Canadian 



802 



INDEX 



Cannons of light harness horse, 41 

Carriage or saddle animal, mule as, 
199 

Catalonian jack, 183 

Cattle, Ayrshire, 412; beef type, 201; 
Brown Swiss, 463 ; color of Ayrshire, 
415; color of Guernsey, 392; dairy 
type, 317; Devon, 473; Dexter, 442; 
distribution of Ayrshire, 425; dis- 
tribution of Brown Swiss, 471 ; dis- 
tribution of Devon, 478; distribution 
of Dexter, 446 ; distribution of Dutch 
Belted, 432 ; distribution of French 
Canadian, 436 ; distribution of Hol- 
stein-Friesian, 382 ; distribution of 
Jersey, 351 ; distribution of Kerry, 
440; distribution of Red Polled, 461 ; 
dual-purpose type, 447 ; Dutch 
Belted, 428; earliest improvers of 
Aberdeen-Angus, 280; French Cana- 
dian, 434; Guernsey, 385; Holstein- 
Friesian, 354; Kerry, 438; milk pro- 
duction of Ayrshire, 419; native 
home of Ayrshire, 412 ; native home 
of Galloway, 300; native home of 
Holstein-Friesian, 354; Norfolk Red 
Polled, 451; Polled Jersey, 353; 
present-day breeds in Holland, 357; 
prices on Aberdeen- Angus, 297; 
prices on Ayrshire, 424; prices on 
Guernsey, 408; prices on Holstein- 
Friesian, 379; prices on Jersey, 349; 
Red Polled, 450 ; size of Ayrshire, 
416; size of Brown Swiss, 466; size 
of Devon, 476; size of Guernsey, 
393 ; size of Holstein-Friesian, 363 ; 
size of Red Polled, 454; Suffolk 
Red Polled, 450; two classes of 
dual-purpose, 448; West Highland, 

311 

Cattle on Jersey, legislation protecting 
purity of, 325 

Cattle organizations, to promote Ayr- 
shire, 426; to promote Devon, 478; 
to promote Guernsey, 411; to pro- 
mote Jersey, 351 

Channel Islands, 323 

Characteristics, of Aberdeen-Angus, 
284; of American Merino, 498; of 
American saddle horse, 33 ; of An- 
■ gora goat, 668; of Ayrshire, 414; of 
Belgian horse, 125; of Berkshire, 
694; of Black-faced Highland, 652; 
of Black-Top Spanish Delaine, 514; 
of Border Leicester, 625; of Brown 
Swiss, 464; of Cheshire, 767; of 



Chester White, 741 ; of Cheviot, 599; 
of Cleveland Bay, 86 ; of Clydesdale, 
136; of Corriedale, 657; of Cots- 
wold, 630; of Devon, 475; of Dex- 
ter, 443; of Dickinson Delaine, 512; 
of domestic ass, 183 ; of Dorset 
Horn, 588 ; of Duroc-Jersey, 709 ; of 
Dutch Belted, 428; of early South- 
down, 540; of English Leicester, 
621; of Essex, 775; of French Ca- 
nadian, 434; of French Coach, 79; 
of Galloway, 302 ; of German Coach, 
82 ; of Guernsey, 391 ; of Hackney, 
73; of Hampshire Down, 578; of 
Hampshire pig, 753 ; of Hereford, 
25S; of Holstein-Friesian, 361; of 
Jersey, 327; of Jersey Red, 707; of 
Karakul, 661; of Kerry, 438; of 
Large Black, 762 ; of Large York- 
shire, 785; of Lincoln, 638; of 
Merino, 484; of milk of goat, 
673; of mule, 194; of Mule-Foot, 
759; of National, Standard, or 
Victor-Beall Delaines, 515; of Ox- 
ford Down, 568; of Percheron, 104; 
of Poland-China, 725; of Rambouil- 
let, 524; of Red Polled, 453; of 
Shetland pony, 177; of Shire, 152; 
of Shorthorn, 225; of Shropshire, 
556; of Small Yorkshire, 771; of 
Southdown in more recent years, 
451; of Spotted Poland-China, 736; 
of Suffolk horse, 162 ; of Suffolk 
sheep, 608 ; of Tamworth, 793 ; of 
Tunis, 614; of West Highland 
cattle, 312 

Cheese, from Holstein-Friesian milk, 
372; from Ayrshire milk, 422; from 
Jersey milk, 338; value of Guern- 
sey milk for, 401 

Cherry tribe, 211 

Cheshire Breeders' Association, 769 

Cheshire pig, 766 ; characteristics, 767 ; 
crossbred or grade, 76S; distribu- 
tion, 769; fecundity, 769; as feeder, 
768 ; as grazer, 769 ; quality of meat, 
768; native home, 766; origin, 766; 
popularity, 769; size, 767 

Chester White pig, 737; adaptability, 
744 ; adoption of name, 738 ; charac- 
teristics, 741 ; crossbred or grade, 
745; distribution, 747; families, 746; 
as feeder, 743 ; as grazer, 743 ; ma- 
turing qualities, 744; native home, 
737; Ohio Improved, 740; organiza- 
tions promoting, 748; origin of Im- 



INDEX 



803 



proved, 73g; original type, 737; pre- 
potency, 746; prices, 746; prolifi- 
cacy, 745 ; quality of pork, 744 ; sires 
of distinction, 746; size, 742 

Cheviot ewes, Border Leicester rams 
on, 626 

Cheviot sheep, 597; characteristics, 
599 ; crossbred or grade, 601 ; dis- 
tribution, 605 ; as grazer, 602 ; hardi- 
ness, 603 ; introduction to United 
States, 599; as mutton producer, 
601; origin, 597; prices, 604; prolif- 
icacy, 603; on range, 612; size, 600; 
as wool producer, 604 

Cheviot sheep breeders' organizations, 
606 

Chief family, 36 

China pig, Big, 722 

Cholera, immunity of Mule-Foot pig 
from, 760 

Classes, of dual-purpose cattle (two), 
448; of Merino sheep (three), 481; 
of mules in market, 195 

Clay family, 53 

Cleveland Bay, 85 ; characteristics, 86 ; 
distribution, 87; introduction to 
America, 85 ; native home, 85 ; or- 
ganizations to promote, 87 ; origin, 
85 ; as roadster, 87 

Clipper tribe, 219 

Clothilde family, 373 

Clyde, 142 

Clydesdale horse, 134; action, 137; 
adaptability, 139 ; characteristics, 
136; color, 138; criticisms of, 140; 
distribution, 146; early history, 134; 
first brought to America, 138; half- 
bred, or grade, 140; height and 
weight, 138; an honor roll of sires, 
144; important sires, 140; of merit 
in America, 144; native home, 134; 
organizations promoting, 147; origin 
of modern, 134; prices, 14s; prolifi- 
cacy, 130; temperament, 139; use of 
English blood on, 135 

Coach horse, Yorkshire, 87 

Cob, 69 

Colling brothers, 209 

Color, of Aberdeen-Angus, 285 ; of 
American saddle horse, 34; of Ayr- 
shire, 415; of Belgian horse, 126; of 
Berkshire, 604 ; of Brown Swiss, 
466; of Clydesdale, 138; of Dexter, 
444; of Duroc- Jersey, 711; of 
Guernsey, 392; of Hackney, 74; of 
Hampshire pig, 754; of Hereford, 



260; of Holstein-Friesian, 362; of 
jack, 187; of Jersey, 328; of Large 
Yorkshire, 786; of mule, 197; of 
Percheron, 106; of pig, 688; of 
Poland-China, 725; of Red Polled, 
454 ; of Shetland pony, 177; of 
Shire, 154; of Shorthorn, 229; of 
Suffolk horse, 164; of Thorough- 
bred, 23 

Combination family, 344 

Conformation, of draft horses, general, 
89; general mutton, 533; of Merino, 
general, 481 ; of Thoroughbred, 21 

Connemara pony, 172 

Coomassie family, 342 

Coquette family, 296 

Corrector family, 266 

Corriedale sheep, 655 ; characteristics, 
657; distribution, 659; fleece, 658; 
as grazer or forager, 659; importa- 
tion into North America, 657; as 
mutton producer, 658 ; native home, 
655 ; official promotion, 659 ; origin, 
65s; prices, 659; weight, 658 

Cotswold sheep, 628; breeding qual- 
ities, 634 ; characteristics, 630 ; cross- 
bred or grade, 633 ; derivation of 
name, 628; distribution, 635; as 
feeder, 632; as grazer, 633; history, 
628; introduction to United States, 
629; for mution, 631; native 
home, 628; prices, 635; promotion, 
635; size, 631; as wool producer, 

634 

Cows, French Canadian as milk pro- 
ducers, 435; Holstein-Friesian as 
milk producers, 368; official public- 
dairy tests of Shorthorn, 235 

Cowslip family, 340 

Crimp and elasticity of Merino wool, 

503 
Criticisms, of Clydesdale, 140; of Gal- 
loway, 310; of Tamworth, 798 
Crossbred Belgian, 128 
Crossbred Dexter, 445 
Crossbred Galloway, 305 
Crossbred or grade Aberdeen-Angus 

bullock, 292 
Crossbred or grade Ayrshire, 417 
Crossbred or grade Berkshire, 700 
Crossbred or grade Black-faced High- 
land, 653 
Crossbred or grade Cheshire, 768 
Crossbred or grade Chester White, 745 
Crossbred or grade Cheviot, 601 
Crossbred or grade Cotswold, 633 



8o4 



INDEX 



Crossbred or grade Delaine Merino, 517 
Crossbred or grade Duroc-Jersey, 714 
Crossbred or grade Dutch Belted, 431 
Crossbred or grade Essex, 776 
Crossbred or grade Guernsey, 393 
Crossbred or grade Hampshire pig, 756 
Crossbred or grade Hereford, 263 
Crossbred or grade Holstein-Friesian, 

366 
Crossbred or grade Karakul, 662 
Crossbred or grade Leicester, 623 
Crossbred or grade Lincoln, 640 
Crossbred or grade Merino, 503 
Crossbred or grade Oxford Down, 571 
Crossbred or grade, Percheron, 108 
Crossbred or grade Poland-China, 729 
Crossbred or grade Rambouillet, 528 
Crossbred or grade Shire, 155 
Crossbred or grade Shropshire, 559 
Crossbred or grade Small Yorkshire, 

772 
Crossbred or grade Southdown, 546 
Crossbred or grade Suffolk horse, 165 
Crossbred or grade Suffolk sheep, 610 
Crossbred or grade Tamworth, 796 
Crossbred or grade Tunis sheep, 616 
Crossbred or grade West Highland, 314 
Crossbred Romney Marsh, 648 
Crossbreds, Large Yorkshire, 787 
Crossbreeding, of Brown Swiss, 467; 
of Devon, 478; of Dorset Horn, 
591 ; of Hampshire Down, 582 ; of 
Jersey, 332; of Kerry, 439; of Red 
Polled, 458; of Shorthorn, 234; 
value of Arab in, 13 
Cruickshank, Amos, 218 
C-type Merino, maintenance of De- 
laine or, 516 

Dairy cattle, general appearance, 317; 

udder, 320 
Dairy point of view. Shorthorn from, 

23s 

Dairy tests of Shorthorn cows, official 
public, 23s 

Dairy type of cattle, 317; compared 
with dual-purpose type, 447; qual- 
ity of, 322 

Daisy tribe, 211 

Darlcy Arabian, 19 

Darnley, 142 

Dartmoor pony, 170 

Davy, John Tanner, 474 

DcKol family, 373 

Delaine Merino sheep, 511; adaptabil- 
ity, S18; breeding quality, 517; 



characteristics of Black-Top Spanish, 
514; characteristics of Dickinson, 
512 ; crossbred or grade, 517 ; deriva- 
tion of word, 511 ; distribution, 510; 
as feeder, 51S; national, 514; origin, 
51 1 ; promotion, 519 

Delaine or C-type Merino, mainte- 
nance, 516; mutton value, 517 

Demi-Sang, 79 

Denmark family, 36 

Derby, thoroughbred records of Eng- 
lish, 27 

Development of Hackney, 71 

Devon cattle, 473; for beef, 477; 
characteristics, 475 ; crossing and 
grading, 478; distribution, 478; early 
improvers of, 473; as grazer, 478; 
introduction to America, 475; as 
milk producer, 477; native home, 
473; organizations to promote, 478; 
origin, 473 ; oxen, 47S ; popularity in 
America, 479; size, 476; two types 
of, 476 

Dexter cattle, 442 ; characteristics, 443 ; 
color, 444 ; crossbred, 445 ; distribu- 
tion, 446; hardy character, 444; in- 
troduction to America, 442 ; as milk 
producer, 445 ; native home, 442 ; 
official promotion, 446 ; origin, 442 ; 
prices, 445 ; size, 444 

Dickinson Delaine, 511 ; characteristics, 

512 

Diomed, 45 

Disease, resistance of mules to, 198 

Disposition and temperament, of Ayr- 
shire, 417; of Holstein-Friesian, 
365; of Jersey, 331 

Distribution, of Aberdeen-Angus, 299; 
of Angora goat, 671; of Ayrshire, 
425; of Belgian, 131; of Berkshire, 
704; of Black-faced Highland, 654; 
of Brown Swiss, 471 ; of Cheshire, 
769; of Chester White, 747; of 
Cheviot, 605; of Cleveland Bay, 87; 
of Clydesdale, 146; of Corriedale, 
659; of Cotswold, 635; of Delaine 
Merino, 519; of Devon, 478; of 
Dexter, 446 ; of Dorset Horn, 505 ; 
of Duroc-Jersey, 718; of Dutch 
Belted, 432 ; of Essex, 777 ; of French 
Canadian, 436 ; of French Coach, 
80; of Galloway, 300; of German 
Coach, 84; of Guernsey, 410; of 
Hackney, 76; of Hampshire Down 
sheep, 585; of Hampshire pig, 757; 
of Hereford, 273; of Holstein- 



INDEX 



805 



Friesian, 382 ; of jacks and jennets 
in America, 191; of Jersey, 351; of 
Karakul, 665; of Kerry, 440; of 
Large Black, 764 ; of Large York- 
shire, 7Qi; of Leicester, 627; of Lin- 
coln, 644 ; of Merino, 509 ; of mule, 
geographical, 103; of Mule-Foot, 
761; of Oxford Down, 573; of 
Percheron, 114; of Poland-China 
swine, 734; of Polled Hereford, 
277; of Polled Shorthorn, 250; of 
Rambouillet, 532; of Red Polled, 
461 ; of Romney Marsh, 649 ; of 
Shetland pony, 181; of Shire, 158; 
of Shorthorn, geographical, 244 ; of 
Shropshire, 563 ; of Small Yorkshire, 
773; of Southdown, 550; of Stand- 
ard-bred horse, 63 ; of Suffolk horse, 
166; of Suffolk sheep, 612; of Tam- 
worth, 798; of Thoroughbred, 29; 
of Tunis, 617; of West Highland, 315 

Disturber family, 266 

Dolly Bloom family, 402 

Dorset Horn sheep, 586; character- 
istics, 58S; crossing or grading, 591; 
distribution, 505 ; as early-lamb pro- 
ducer, 591 ; as grazer, 503 ; horns a 
protection, 59$ ; introduction to 
America, 587; as mutton producer, 
590; native home, 586; origin, 586; 
prolificacy, 592; size, 589; as wool 
producer, 593 

Dorset Horn sheep breeders, organi- 
zations of, 596 

"Double standard" Polled Shorthorn, 
247 

Draft horse, action, 94; distribution 
of Belgian, 131; height, 89; the 
Suffolk as, 166; type, 80 

Draft horse shows in Belgium, 132 

Draft-horse type, 89 

Draft mules, 105 

Draft, value of Shetland pony for, 179 

Drivers of race horses, 62 

Drives in Spain, annual Merino, 489 

Dual-purpose type of cattle. 447; two 
classes, 448 

Duchess of Gloster tribe, 223 

Duchess tribe, 211; of Bates, 212 

Dunure Footprint, 144 

Durham, "single standard" Polled, 247 

Duroc- Jersey pig, 705, 707; adapta- 
bility, 715 ; characteristics, 709 ; color, 
711; crossbred or grade, 714; of 
distinction, 716; distribution, 718; 
families, 716; as feeder, 713; as 



grazer, 712; improvement, 709; ma- 
turing quaUtics, 713; organizations 
promoting, 718; origin, 708; pre- 
potency, 716; prices, 717; prolifi- 
cacy, 715; quality of pork, 714; 
size, 711 

Dutch cattle, origin, 355 

Dutch Belted cattle, 428; as beef pro- 
ducer, 431; characteristics, 428; 
crossbred or grade, 431 ; distribution 
and adaptability, 432; introduction 
to America, 428; as milk producer 
430; native home, 428; origin, 428; 
popularity, 433; promotion, 432 

Early lambs, Dorset Horn for, 591 ; 

Hampshire Down for, 581 ; Tunis 

for, 616 
Eclipse, 20 
Elasticity and crimp of Merino wool, 

S03 
Ellman, John, 537 
Endurance of mule, 197 
England, improvement of Jersey in, 

326; horse in, prior to reign of 

Queen Elizabeth, 17 
English blood on Clydesdale, use of, 

135 

English Merinos, 494 

English Shorthorn breeders, less 
prominent early, 217 

English Thoroughbred sires, three 
early, 19 

English trotting horse, history, 44 

Eohippus, 3 

Epihippus, 4 

Equus, 4 

Erica family, 293 

Escurial Merinos, 491 

Escutcheon, 322 

Essex pig, 774; characteristics, 775; 
crossbred or grade, 776; distribu- 
tion, 777; early native type, 774; 
estaljHshment of Improved, 774; fe- 
cundity, 776; as feeder, 776; im- 
provement, 774; introduction to 
America, 77s; maturing quality, 
777; native home, 774; popularity, 
777; promotion in America, 777; 
quality of meat, 776; size, 776 • 

Estantes, 489 

Eurotas family, 342 

Evolution of Hackney, important, 71 

Evolution of the horse, 2 ; tracing the, 4 

Ewes, fecundity of Suffolk, 611 

Exmoor pony, 170 



8o6 



INDEX 



Fairholm, or Blossom, Tribe, 217 

Families, Aberdeen-Angus, 293 ; Amer- 
ican saddle horse, two notable, 36; 
Berkshire, important, 702 ; Chester 
White, 746; Duroc- Jersey, 716; 
Guernsey, 401 ; Hereford, of note, 
264; Holstein-Friesian, 372; Jersey, 
of distinction, 339 ; Merino, impor- 
tant subtypes, 505 ; Poland-China, 
and foundation sows, 731 ; Small 
Whites, strains or, 770; trotting, of 
note, 50 

Family, Clay, 53; Hal, 56; Hamble- 
tonian, 50; Mambrino, 52; Morgan, 
53 ; Pilot, 55 

Fancy, or Orange Blossom, tribe, 221 

Farm mules, 196 

Fattening and fleshing quality of pig, 
687 

Fecundity and longevity, of Cheshire, 
769; of Essex, 776; of Hampshire 
Down, 583 ; of Karakul, 664 ; of 
milch goat, 682; of Shropshire, 560; 
of Small Yorkshire, 773; of Suffolk 
ewes, 611; of Suffolk horse, 165; 
of Tamworth, 797; of Tunis, 611 

Feeder, Berkshire as, 697 ; Cheshire as, 
768; Chester White as, 743; Cots- 
wold as, 632; Delaine as, 518; 
Duroc- Jersey as, 713; Essex as, 776; 
Hampshire as, 755; Large Black as, 
763; Large Yorkshire as, 789; Lin- 
coln as, 640; Mule-Foot as, 700; 
Oxford Down as, 570; Poland-China 
as, 727; Romney Marsh as, 648; 
Small Yorkshire as, 772; Southdown 
as, 544; Suffolk sheep as, 609; Tam- 
worth as, 795 

Fibre, fineness of Merino, 502 

Financial Interest family, 340 

Fine-wool type of sheep, Merino or, 
481 

Fleece, of Angora goat, 668; of Cor- 
riedale, 658; of Karakul, 661; of 
Romney Marsh, 649; of Tunis, 616 

Fleece, relationship of Merino to body 
weight, 502 

Fleshing and fattening quaUty, of pig, 
687 ; of beef animal, 206 

Foggathorpe tribe, 214 

Fontaine family, 340 

Foot, of light harness horse, 41 ; single, 

34 
Forearms and arms of light harness 

horse, 41 
Forton of Wynhuize, 129 



Foundation, of Berkshire, 689; of 
Poland-China, 720 

Foundation Jersey sires, important, 
346 

France family, 403 

France, horse racing in, 78; improve- 
ment of Percheron in, 102 

French Canadian cattle, 434 ; char- 
acteristics, 434; distribution, 436; 
grazing qualities, 436; hardy char- 
acter, 436; maturing qualities, 436; 
as milk producer, 435; native home, 
434 ; origin, 434 ; promotion of pure, 

437 
French Coach horse, 78 ; characteristics, 

79; distribution, 80; origin, 79; 

speed records, 80 
French Draft horse, 118; distinct 

breeds, 118 
French Draft Horse Association of 

America, National, 120 
French Jockey Club, 79 
French Merino, or Rambouillet, 494 
French race track, 80 
Friesian, origin of name, 358 
Fullerton, William, 282 
Fur of Karakul lamb, 662 
Furs, market value of Karakul, 663 
Futurity records of Thoroughbred, 28 
Futurity shows, Percheron, 112 

Gait, of Hackney, 73 ; of saddle horse, 
34; of trotter and pacer, 47 

Galliers, William, 254 

Gallipoly, 98 

Galloway cattle, 300; bulls of dis- 
tinction, 309 ; characteristics, 302 ; 
criticisms, 310; crossbred, 305; dis- 
tribution, 309; hardiness, 307; hide, 
307; improvement, 300; introduction 
to America, 302 ; as meat producers, 
304; in milk production, 300; native 
home, 300 ; organizations for promot- 
ing, 309; origin, 300; prepotency, 
308 ; prices, 309 ; size, 304 

Geldings, Percheron, 113 

General-purpose and dual-purpose 
types of cattle, 447 

German Coach horse, 82 ; character- 
istics, 82 ; distribution, 84 ; intro- 
duction to America, 82 ; native home, 
82 ; organization of, in America, 84 ; 
type, 83 

German, or Silesian, Merinos, 493 

Germany, early records of horse breed- 
ing in, 82 



INDEX 



807 



dancer, 140 

Glenwood girl family, 403 

Glista family, 378 

Goat, Anglo-Nubian, 678; Angora, see 
Angora goat; breeds or varieties of 
milk-producing, 674; characteristics 
of milk, 673 ; cost of producing milk 
of, 680; Maltese, 676; milch, see 
Milch goat; Nubian, 677; period of 
lactation, 682; Saanen, 676; 
Schwarzhal, 670; as source of milk, 
673 ; Toggenburg, 674 

Godolphin, 98 

Godolphin Barb, 19 

Golden Lad family, 339 

Governor Wood, 190 

Grade or cross, of Aberdeen-Angus, 
292; of Ayrshire, 417; of Berkshire, 
700; of Black-faced Highland, 653; 
of Cheshire, 768; of Chester White, 
745 ; of Cheviot, 601 ; of Clydesdale, 
140; of Cotswold, 633; of Delaine 
Merino, 517; of Duroc- Jersey, 714; 
of Dutch Belted, 431 ; of Essex, 776; 
of Guernsey, 393 ; of Hackney, 75 ; 
of Hampshire pig, 756 ; of Hereford, 
263 ; of Leicester, 623 ; of Lincoln, 
640 ; of Merino, 503 ; of Holstein- 
Friesian, 366; of Oxford Down, 571 ; 
of Percheron, 108; ot Poland-China, 
729; of Rambouillet, 258; of Shire, 
155; of Shropshire, 559; of Small 
Yorkshire, 772; of Southdown, 546; 
of Suffolk horse, 165; of Suffolk 
sheep, 610; of Tamworth, 796; of 
Tunis, 616; of West Highland, 314 

Grading and crossing. Brown Swiss in, 
467 ; Devon in, 478; Dorset Horn in, 
591 ; Hampshire Down in, 582 ; im- 
portance of Shorthorn in, 234; Jer- 
sey in, 332 ; Red Polled in, 458 

Grant, George Macpherson, 283 

Grazer, Berkshire as, 697; Cheshire 
as, 769 ; Chester White as, 743 ; 
Cheviot as, 602; Corriedale as, 659; 
Cotswold as, 633 ; Devon as, 478 ; 
Dorset Horn as, 593 ; Duroc-Jersey 
as, 712; French Canadian as, 436; 
Hampshire Down as, 582 ; Hamp- 
shire pig as, 755; Hereford as, 263; 
Kerry as, 440 ; Large Black as, 763 ; 
Large Yorkshire as, 789; Leicester 
as, 624; Lincoln as, 642; Poland- 
China as, 727; Shropshire as, 559; 
Small Yorkshire as, 773 ; Tamworth 
as, 797 



Great Britain, horse racing and the 
race track in, 18 

Green Mountain Maid, 56 

Groups and tribes, of Red Polled 
cattle, 460; of Spanish sheep, two 
great, 489 

Guadaloupe Merinos, 491 

Guernsey, protection and improvement 
of cattle on, 387 

Guernsey cattle, 385 ; in beef produc- 
tion, 395 ; character, 393 ; character- 
istics, 391 ; cheese value of milk, 
401 ; color, 392 ; crossbred or grade, 
393; distribution, 410; families, 401 ; 
introduction to America, 389; lead- 
ing butter-fat records, 400; native 
home, 385; organizations promoting, 
411 ; origin, 358; prices, 408; as pro- 
ducer of butter fat, 398 ; as producer 
of milk, 398; prolificacy, 395; scale 
points (early), 387; size, 393; skin 
secretions, 392; temperament, 393; 
ten leading sires, 408 

Guernsey Cattle Club, Advanced 
Registry of America, 396 

Guinea breed of pigs, 705 

Hackney, characteristics, 73 ; color, 74 ; 
derivation of word, 70; distribution, 
76; early development, 71; effect of 
the motor on breeding, 77; gait, 73; 
half-bred or grade, 75; height, 74; 
imitation, 76; important evolution, 
71; introduction to America, 72; 
native home, 70; original stock, 70; 
promotion, 77; soundness, 75 

Hackney pony, 173 

Hair, and skin of Hereford, 259; of 
pig, 6S7; of Shetland pony, 177 

Hairy legs of Shire, 153 

Hal family, 56 

Half-bred. See Grade or cross 

Halnaby, or Strawberry, tribe, 216 

Hambletonian family, 50 

Hambletonian, 10; pedigree of, 52 

Hampshire Down sheep, 575; charac- 
teristics, 578; distribution, 585; 
early improvement, 576; for early 
Iambs, 581; fecundity, 583; for 
grading or crossing, 582 ; as grazer, 
582; introduction to America, 578; 
as mutton animal, 580; native home, 
575; origin, 575; prices, 583; as 
producer of wool, 583 ; size, 580 

Hampshire Down sheep associations, 
S8S 



8o8 



INDEX 



Hampshire pig, 749; adaptability, 755; 
characteristics, 753; color, 754; 
crossbred or grade, 756; distribution, 
757; early history, 749; early matur- 
ity, 755 ; as feeder, 755 ; as grazer, 
755; introduction to America, 751; 
organization to promote, 758; prices, 
757; prolificacy, 756; prominent 
sires, 757; quality of pork, 755; size, 

755 

Hardiness, of Cheviot sheep, 603 ; of 
Dexter, 444; of French Canadian, 
436; of Galloway, 307; of Karakul, 
664 ; of Kerry, 439 ; of Rambouillet, 
529; of West Highland, 315 

Harness horse, heavy, 64 ; light, 40 

Harold, 156 

Head of light harness horse, 40 

Heather Bloom or Heather Blossom 
family, 296 

Heavy harness horse, action, 67 ; gen- 
eral appearance, 64 ; subclasses, 68 ; 
type, 64 

Height and weight, of Belgian, 127; of 
Clydesdale, 138; of draft horse, 89; 
of Hackney, 74; of jack, 187;. of 
Percheron, io5; of Shetland pony, 
178; of Thoroughbred, 23 

Hereford cattle, 252; characteristics, 
258; color, 260; crossbred or grade, 
263; distribution, 273; early con- 
structive breeders, 253; early matur- 
ity, 262; families of note, 264; 
foundation ancestors, 256; as graz- 
ers, 263; as meat producers, 261; 
native home, 252; noted sires, 270; 
origin, 252; prepotency, 263; prices, 
271; prolificacy, 264; promotion of 
interests, 274; skin and hair, 259; 
size, 260 

Herefords, Polled, 275. See Polled 
Hereford 

Herod (King Herod), 19 

Hesiod family, 267 

Hewer, John, 255 

Hide of Galloway, 307 

Highland cattle. See West Highland 

Highland pony, 172 

Highland sheep. See Black-faced High- 
land 

Hindquarters of light harness horse, 42 

History, of English trotting horse, 44; 
of early Hampshire pig, 749 

Hitchin Conqueror, 157 

Holland, present-day breeds of cattle 
in, 357 



Holstein-Friesian cattle, 354; adaptabil- 
ity, 365; Advanced Registry official 
testing, 367 ; Advanced Registry re- 
quirements, 367; as butter-fat pro- 
ducers, 370; characteristics, 361; 
color, 362 ; disposition, 365 ; distri- 
bution, 382; families, 372; intro- 
duction to America, 256; maturing 
qualities, 365; measurements, 364; 
milk for cheese, 372; as milk pro- 
ducers, 368; native home, 354; or- 
ganizations for promoting, 382 ; 
origin of name, 358; prepotency, 
366; prices, 379; prolificacy, 365; 
semiofficial yearly butter-fat records, 
371; semiofficial yearly milk rec- 
ords, 369; size, 363; ten leading 
sires, 379; types, 361 

Holstein-Friesian oxen, 367 

Honest Tom, 156 

Horns a protection to Dorset Horn 
sheep, 595 

Horse, action of draft, 94; action of 
heavy harness, 67; action of light 
harness, 43; American Saddle, 31; 
Arab, 7 ; arms and forearms of light 
harness, 41 ; in Belgium, influence of 
World War on, 133 ; body of light 
harness, 41 ; cannons of light 
harness, 41 ; characteristics of Amer- 
ican saddle, 33 ; characteristics of 
Bel'^ian draft, 125; characteristics of 
French Coach, 79; characteristics of 
German Coach, 83 ; characteristics 
of Percheron, 104; characteristics of 
Suffolk, 162; color of American 
saddle, 34; color of Belgian, 126; 
color of prehistoric, 5 ; color of Suf- 
folk, 164; discovery of American 
prehistoric, i ; distinct breeds of 
French draft, it8; distribution of 
P'rench Coach, 80; distribution of 
German Coach, 84; distribution 
of Percheron, 114; distribution of 
standard-bred, 63 ; distribution of 
Suffolk, 166; early history of Suffolk, 
60; in England prior to reign of 
Queen Elizabeth, 17; evolution of, 
2 ; foot of light harness, 41 ; general 
appearance of heavy harness, 64; 
general conformation of draft, 89 ; 
head of light harness, 40; height of 
draft, 89; hindquarters of light 
harness, 42 ; history of English trot- 
ting, 44; history of modern Suf- 
folk, 161; influence of Arab, 11; 



INDEX 



809 



introduction of Belgian, to America, 
124; light harness, 40; link between 
prehistoric and modern, 6; man and 
the prehistoric, 6 ; modern Shire, 151 ; 
money paid for standard-bred, 61 ; 
native home of Belgian, 121; native 
home of Clydesdale, 134; native 
home of German Coach, 82 ; native 
home of Percheron, 95 ; native home 
of Suffolk, 160; neck of light 
harness, 40; notable Arabs, 13; 
notable recent-day Belgians, 130; 
organizations for promoting the Bel- 
gian, 131 ; organizations for promot- 
ing the Percheron, 115 ; organizations 
for promoting the Shire, 159; origin 
of French Coach, 79 ; Park, 68 ; pas- 
terns of light harness, 41 ; prices 
for Belgian, 131 ; prices for Suf- 
folk, 167; production of, in Bel- 
gium, 121; promotion of Suffolk, 
167; shoulders of light harness, 40; 
size of American saddle, 33 ; sound- 
ness of Shire, 156; subclasses of 
heavy harness, 68 ; tracing the evo- 
lution of, 4 ; two ancient breeds in 
Belgium, 121; type of heavy harness, 
64; type of German Coach, 83; 
value of Thoroughbred, in develop- 
ing American saddle, 32; very early 
history of Shire, 148 ; weight of 
draft, 89 ; world-wide distribution 
of, in prehistoric times, i 

Horse associations, American Per- 
cheron, 116; German Coach, 84; 
National French Draft, 120 

Horse breeding, in England, special 
region of Shire, 148; in Germany, 
early records of, 82 ; methods em- 
ployed by Belgian government to 
encourage, 122 

Horse racing, in Great Britain, 18; in 
France, 78 

Humphrey, William, 576 

Hybrid, mule a, 192 

Immunity of Mule-Foot to cholera, 

760 
Importation to America, of Corriedale, 

657; of milch goat, 681; Improved 

Black-Top Spanish Merino, 513; of 

Thoroughbred, 24 
Improved Chester White, the Ohio, 740 
Improved Essex, establishment of, 774 
Improvement, of Duroc- Jersey, 709; 

early, of Hampshire Down, 576; 



early, of Percheron, 97; of Essex, 
774; first, of Leicester, 618; first, of 
native Berkshire, 690; and protec- 
tion of cattle on Guernsey, 387 ; 
of Rambouillet, 520; of Tamworth, 
792 

Improvers, earliest, of Aberdeen-Angus, 
280; distinguished early, of Short- 
horn, 208; early, of Ayrshire, 413; 
early, of Devon, 473; early, of Large 
Yorkshire, 784; early, of Poland- 
China, 724; early foundation, of 
Merino in America, 497 ; important 
early, of Southdown, 537; two early 
prominent, of Shropshire, 554 

Indian ponies, mustangs, or bronchos, 

173 

Infantado Merinos, 492 

Interest family, the financial, 340 

Interest family, the Owl-, 346 

Introduction to America, of Aberdeen- 
Angus, 283; of Angora goat, 667; 
of Ayrshire, 414; of Berkshire, 693; 
of Black-faced Highland, 652 ; of 
Brown Swiss, 464; of Cheviot, 599; 
of Cleveland Bay, 85 ; of Cotswold, 
629; of Devon, 475; of Dexter, 442 ; 
of Dorset Horn, 587 ; of Dutch 
Belted, 428; of Essex, 775; of Gal- 
loway, 302 ; of German Coach, 82 ; 
of Guernsey, 389; of Hackney, 72; 
of Hampshire Down sheep, 578; of 
Hampshire pig, 751 ; of Hereford, 
256; of Holstein-Friesian, 358; of 
jack, 188; of Jersey, 327; of Kara- 
kul, 660; of Large Black, 762; 
of Large Yorkshire, 784 ; of Leices- 
ter, 620; of Lincoln, 637; of Merino, 
495; of Mule-Foot, 759; of Oxford 
Down, 568; of Percheron, 102; of 
Rambouillet, 521; of Red Polled, 
452 ; of Shropshire, 555 ; of Small 
Yorkshire, 770; of Southdown, 540; 
of Suffolk sheep, 607; of Tamworth, 
793; of Tunis, 613; of West High- 
land, 311 

Irish grazier as a factor in Poland- 
China history, 723 

Isabella tribe, 215 

Island-bred families, 339 

Island-bred Jersey sires, comparison 
of native with, 348; 

Island of Jersey, 323 

Jacks, American, 185; Andalusian, 
183 ; associations promoting jennets 



8io 



INDEX 



and, iQi ; Catalonian, 183; color, 
187; distribution in America, 191; 
height, 187; introduction to Am- 
erica, 188; Majorca, 184; Maltese, 
184; noted, in America, 189; Poitou, 
185; prices, 190 

Jeffries, Thomas, 256 

Jennets, associations promoting jacks 
and, 191 ; distribution of, in America, 
191 

Jersey, 323; legislation protecting pu- 
rity of cattle on, 325 

Jersey cattle, adaptability, 330; Amer- 
ican families, 341 ; authenticated 
butter-fat tests, 336; as beef pro- 
ducer, 332 ; bulls of distinction, 346; 
characteristics, 327 ; color, 328 ; com- 
parison of native sires with Island- 
bred, 348; crossing or grading, 332; 
distribution, 351; early maturity, 
330; families of distinction, 
339; important foundation sires, 
346; improvement of, in England, 
326; improvement of old type, 325; 
introduction to America, 327; lead- 
ing imported bulls, 349; leading 
sires, 347 ; milk in cheese produc- 
tion, 338; milk records, 334; or- 
ganizations promoting, 351 ; origin, 
324; Polled, 353; prepotency, 332; 
prices, 349 ; private butter tests, 335 ; 
as producer of milk-fat, 334; as 
producer of milk, 332; prolificacy 
and vitality, 331 ; sires of private- 
test offspring, 347 ; sires of register- 
of-merit offspring, 347; size, 329; 
temperament and disposition, 331 ; 
ten leading, in butter-fat tests for 
one year, 337 

Jersey Red pig, 706 ; characteristics, 707 

Jilt family, 296 

Jockey Club, French, 79 

Johanna family, 375 

Jupiter, 130 

Karakul sheep, 660; characteristics, 
661 ; crossbred or grade, 662 ; distri- 
bution, 665 ; fecundity, 664 ; fleece, 
661 ; fur of lamb, 662 ; hardiness, 
664; introduction to America, 660; 
market value of furs, 663; mutton, 
663; native home, 660; origin, 660 
Keillor, Hugh Watson of, 280 
Kerry cattle, 438; characteristics, 438; 
crossbreeding, 439; distribution, 440; 
grazing value, 440; hardy character. 



439; introduction to America, 438; 

maturing characteristics, 439 ; milk 

producer, 440; native home, 438; 

organizations for promoting, 441 ; 

origin, 438 ; prepotency, 439 
Kiang, Asiatic Wild ass or, 182 
Killer, Large Yorkshire pig as, 789 
Korndyke family, 375 
Kyloe, 311 

Lactation of goat, period of, 682 

Lady Maynard tribe, 662 

Lady tribe, 211 

Lamb, fur of Karakul, 662 

Lard, or American, type of pig, 683 ; 
temperament, 687 

Large Black pig, 762 ; characteristics, 
762 ; distribution, 764 ; as feeder, 
763 ; as grazer, 763 ; introduction to 
America, 762 ; native home, 762 ; 
origin, 762; popularity, 764; pro- 
lificacy, 764; promotion, 765; qual- 
ity of meat, 763 ; size, 763 

Large Yorkshire pig, 782 ; ancestry, 
782 ; characteristics, 785 ; color, 786 ; 
crossbreds, 787; distribution, 791; 
early improvers, 784; as feeder, 789; 
as grazer, 789; introduction to 
United States, 784; as killer, 789; 
maturity, 787; popularity, 790; pro- 
lificacy, 790; reputation of, as bacon 
producer, 788 ; size, 786 ; type, 786 

Lavender tribe, 220 

Legislation protecting purity of cattle 
on Jersey, 325 

Leicester rams on Cheviot ewes, 
Border, 626 

Leicester sheep, 618; Border, 624; 
breeding qualities, 624; character- 
istics of Border, 625; characteristics 
of English, 621; crossbred or grade, 
623; distribution, 627; first improve- 
ment of, 618; as grazer, 624; intro- 
duction to America, 620; as mutton 
producer, 622; native home, 618; 
organizations in behalf of, 627; 
origin, 618; prices, 626; size, 622; 
as wool producer, 624 

Leicester Sheep Breeders, Society of 
Border, 627 

Leonese, 489 

Light harness horse, action, 43 ; arms 
and forearms, 41 ; body, 41 ; cannons, 
41; foot, 41; head, 40; hind quar- 
ters, 42; neck, 40; pasterns, 41; 
shoulders, 40; type, 40 



INDEX 



8il 



Limestone Mammoth, 190 

Lincoln sheep, 636 ; breeding quality, 
642 ; characteristics, 638 ; crossbred 
or grade, 640; distribution, 644; as 
feeder, 640 ; as grazer, 642 ; intro- 
duction to America, 637; native 
home, 636; origin, 636; prices, 643; 
promotion, 645 ; quality of mutton, 
639; size, 638; as wool producer, 
642 

Lincolnshire Lad II, 156 

Lockinge Forest King, 158 

Longevity and fecundity of Suffolks, 

165 
Louis Napoleon, 103 
Lovely tribe, 221 

McCombie, William, 282 

Majorca jack, 184 

Maltese goat, 676 

Maltese jack, 184 

Mambrino family, 52 

Mammoth, 189 

March On family, 267 

Mares, list of famous trotting or pac- 
ing brood, 56 ; noteworthy Amer- 
ican saddle-horse, 38 

Martin's Boxer strain, 161 

Masher family, 404 

Matchem, 20 

Materna family, 405 

Maturity, of Aberdeen-Angus, 287; 
of Berkshire, 698; of Chester White, 
744; of Duroc- Jersey, 713; early, 
of American Merino, 505 ; early, 
of Ayrshire, 417; early, of Hamp- 
shire pig, 755 ; early, of Hereford, 
262; early, of Jersey, 330; early of 
Poland-China, 728; early, of Ram- 
bouillet, 529; early, of Shorthorn, 
239; early, of Small Yorkshire, 772; 
early, of Shropshire, 560; of Essex, 
777; of French Canadian, 436; of 
Guernsey, 393 ; of Holstein-Friesian, 
365; of Kerry, 439; of Tamworth, 

795 

May Rose family, 405 

Meat, quality of Cheshire, 768; qual- 
ity of Essex, 776; quality of Large 
Black, 763 ; quality of Mule-Foot, 
760; quahty of Poland-China, 728; 
quality of Small Yorkshire, 772 

Meat producer, Galloway as, 304; 
Hereford as, 261 

Meire, Samuel, 554 

Mercury, 130 



Merino, or fine-wool type of sheep, 
481; A-type, 482; adaptabiUty of 
American, 505 ; Aguirre, 491 ; Amer- 
ican, 488; American, as wool 
producer, 501 ; annual drives in 
Spain, 489 ; Australian, 494 ; Austra- 
lia's popular type of, 500; B-Type, 
482; Black-Top Spanish, 513; breed- 
ing qualities of American, 505 ; 
breeding, three types, 483 ; charac- 
teristics of American, 498 ; crossbred 
or grade, 503 ; Delaine, 511 ; distribu- 
tion, 509; distribution of Delaine, 
519; early foundation improvers in 
America, 497 ; early-maturing qual- 
ities of American, 505; English, 494; 
Escurial, 491 ; exportation from 
Spain, 492 ; fineness of fiber, 502 ; 
general conformation, 481 ; German 
or Silesian, 493 ; Guadaloupe, 491 ; 
important subtypes of families, 505 ; 
Infantado, 492 ; introduction to 
United States, 495 ; line of demar- 
cation in, 483 ; mania for, 497 ; 
maintenance of Delaine or C-type, 
516; modern type of, in Australia, 
499 ; the more general characteristics 
of, 484; mutton qualities of Amer- 
ican, 503 ; mutton value of Delaine 
or C-type, 517; national Delaine, 
514 ; native home, 488 ; Negretti, 491 ; 
origin, 488; origin of Delaine, 511; 
Paular, 490; promotion, 510; pro- 
motion of Delaine, 519; reduction of 
flocks in Spain, 492 ; ratio of fleece 
to weight of body, 502 ; remark- 
able prices, 508; Saxon, 493; size 
of American, 500; some famous 
rams, 506 ; Swedish, 493 ; three 
classes or types, 481 ; wool, 487, 503 

Merino show-ring victory, a notable 
American, 507 

Merit, Register of, 336 

Mesohippus, 4 

Messenger, 45 

Methods employed by Belgian govern- 
ment to encourage horse breeding, 122 

Middle White pigs, 791 

Milch goat, 673 ; age attained by, 680; 
fecundity, 682 ; importation to 
America, 681 ; official promotion, 
682 ; prices, 682 ; weight, 680 

Milk, Aberdeen-Angus as producer of, 
288; of Ayrshire for cheese-making, 
422 ; of Ayrshire as producer of, 419 ; 
Brown Swiss as producer of, 468; 



8l2 



INDEX 



characteristics of goat's, 673 ; cheese 
value of Guernsey, 401 ; cost of pro- 
ducing goat's, 680; Devon as pro- 
ducer of, 477; Dexter as producer 
of, 4QS ; Dutch Belted as producer 
of, 430; French Canadian as pro- 
ducer of, 435 ; Galloway as producer 
of, 306 ; goat as source of, 673 ; 
Guernsey as producer of, 398; of 
Holstein-Friesian for cheese, 372; 
Holstein-Friesian as producer of, 
368 ; of Jersey in cheese production, 
338; Jersey as producer of, 332; 
Kerry as producer of, 440; Red 
Polled as producer of, 455 

Milk-producing goats, breeds or va- 
rieties of, 674 

Milk records, of Guernsey, 398; of 
Jersey, 334 ; semi-official yearly 
Holstein-Friesian, 369; of Short- 
horn, 237; ten leading Ayrshire, 420 

Milk veins, 321 

Milking qualities of West Highland 
cattle, 314 

Mimulus tribe, 221 

Mine mules, 196 

Miss Russell, 57 

Mohair, 668; prices, 669 

Money winnings on the race track, 61 

Morgan family, 53 

Moss Rose tribe of Booth, 217 

Motor on Hackney breeding, effect of 
the, 77 

Mule, 192; best type, 197; as car- 
riage or saddle animal, 199; charac- 
teristics, 194; color, 197; draft, 195; 
endurance, 197; farm, 196; geo- 
graphical distribution, 193 ; history, 
193; a hybrid, 192; market classes, 
195; mine, 196; plantation, 195; 
Poitou, 196; prices, 199; raising in 
United States, 194; resistance to 
disease, 198; sex, 192; sterility, 192; 
temperament, 197; weight, 194 

Mule-Foot pig, 759; characteristics, 
759; distribution, 761; feeding 
qualities, 760; immunity from chol- 
era, 760; introduction to America, 
759; name, 759; native home, 759; 
prepotency, 760; prolificacy, 760; 
promotion, 761 ; quality of meat, 
760; size, 760 

Mustangs, bronchos, or Indian ponies, 

173 
Mutton, American Merino as producer 
of, 503 ; Angora as producer of. 



670; Cheviot as producer of, 601; 
Corriedale as producer of, 658; 
Cotswold as producer of, 631 ; Dor- 
set Horn as producer of, 590; gen- 
eral conformation for, 533 ; Hamp- 
shire Down as producer of, 580; 
Leicester as producer of, 622; qual- 
ity of Black-faced Highland, 653 ; 
quality of Lincoln, 639 ; quality of 
Romney Marsh, 648 ; quality of 
Southdown, 545 ; Rambouillet as 
producer of, 537; Shropshire as pro- 
ducer of, 558; Suffolk as producer 
of, 609; Tunis as producer of, 615; 
value of Delaine or C-type Merino 
for, 517; value of Karakul for, 663 
Mutton-type sheep, 533; skin, 535; 
wool, 535 

Name, of Chester White, 738 ; of Hol- 
stein-Friesian, 358; of Mule-Foot, 
759; of Poland-China, 723 

National Delaine Merino, 514 

National French Draft horse associa- 
tion, 120 

Neapolitan pig, 691 

Neck of light harness horse, 40 

Negretti Merinos, 491 

Netherland family, 376 

New Forest pony, 171 

Nivernais, 119 

Nonpareil tribe, 221 

Norfolk Red Polled cattle, 451 ; amal- 
gamation of Suffolk and, 452 

North America, importation of Cor- 
riedale sheep into, 657 

Nosegay family, 296 

Nubian goat, 677 

Ohio Importing Company, 224 

Ohio Improved Chester White pig, 740 

Old Grannie, 281 

Old Jack, 281 

Orange ist, 130; Orange Blossom, or 
Fancy, tribe, 221 

Organization, Cheviot sheep breeders', 
606; Aberdeen-Angus, 299; Ayr- 
shire, 426; Belgian horse, 131; 
Berkshire, 704 ; Chester White, 748 ; 
Cleveland Bay; 87; Clydesdale, 147; 
Devon, 478; Dorset Horn Sheep 
breeders', 596; Duroc- Jersey, 718; 
Galloway, 309; Guernsey, 411; 
Hampshire, 758; Holstein-Friesian, 
382 ; Jersey, 351 ; Kerry, 441 ; Lei- 
cester, 627; Lincoln, 645; Percheron, 



L\DEX 



813 



115; Poland-China, 734; Red Polled, 
461 ; Shetland pony, 181 ; Short- 
horn, 245; Suffolk sheep, 612; Tam- 
worth, 798; West Highland cattle 
breeders', 316 

Oriental horses, three early, 19 

Origin, of Aberdeen-Angus, 279; of 
Angora goat, 666 ; of Black-faced 
Highland, 651; of Brown Swiss, 
463 ; of Cheshire, 766 ; of Cheviot, 
597 ; of Cleveland Bay, 85 ; of Cor- 
riedale, 655 ; of Delaine Merino, 
511; of Devon, 473; of Dexter, 
442; of Dorset Horn, 586; of 
Duroc- Jersey, 708; of Dutch Belted, 
428; of Dutch cattle, 355; of French 
Canadian, 434 ; of French Coach, 79 ; 
of Gallowa)^ 300; of Guernsey, 385; 
of Hampshire Down sheep, 575; of 
Hereford, 252; of Improved Chester 
White, 739; of Jersey, 324; of Kara- 
kul, 660; of Kerry, 438; of Large 
Black, 762; of Leicester, 618; of 
Lincoln, 636; of Merino, 488; of 
Oxford Down, 566; of Percheron, 
95 ; of Poland-China, 720; of Polled 
Hereford, 275; real, of Shire, 149; 
of Red Polled, 450; of Shorthorn, 
207; of Shropshire, 551; of Small 
Yorkshire, 770; of Suffolk, 607; of 
Thoroughbred, 21 ; of Tunis, 613 ; of 
West Highland, 311 

Orohippus, 3 

Oxen, Devon, 478; Holstein-Friesian, 

367 

Oxford Down sheep, 566 ; character- 
istics, 568 ; crossbred or grade, 
571 ; distribution, 573 ; as feeder, 
570; introduction to America, 568; 
native home, 566 ; origin, 566 ; prices, 
572; prolific quality, 572; promo- 
tion, 574; size, 570; as wool pro- 
ducer, 572 

Oxford family, 340 

Oxford tribe, 213 

Owl-Interest family, 346 

Pace, 35, 47; interchangeable with 

trot, 48 
Pacer, American, 44, 46; number with 

records, 61 
Pacing brood mares, list of famous, 56 
Pacing horses, leading sires, 58 
Pacing standard, 50 
Packington Blind Horse, 156 
Park horse, 68 



Pasterns of light harness horse, 41 

Paular Merinos, 490 

Pauline Paul family, 377 

Percheron horse, 95; American asso- 
ciations for, 116; characteristics, 
104; color, 106; crossbred or grade, 
108; deterioration, 100; distribution, 
114; early type, 99; famous sires, 
no; futurity shows, 112; geldings, 
113; improvement of early, 97; 
improvement of, in France, 102 ; in- 
troduction to United States, 102 ; 
leading shows, in; maturing qual- 
ity, 107 ; native home, 95 ; organi- 
zations for promoting, 115; origin, 
95; prices, 112; prolificacy, 109; 
temperament, 107 ; type of, about 
1877, 100; weight and height, 106 

Perfection family, 268 

Persian Wild ass, 182 

Picardy, 120 

Pietertje family, 376 

Pig, adaptability of Hampshire, 755 ; 
American, or lard, type of, 683 ; an- 
cestry of Large Yorkshire, 782 ; 
bacon, 778; bacon, demand in Am- 
erica for, 781 ; bacon, weight of, 
,780; Bedford or Bedfordshire, 721; 
Belted or sheeted, 750; Berkshire, 
680 ; Berkshire as grazer, 697 ; Berk- 
shire as source of red, 706 ; Big 
China, 722; Byfield, 722; character- 
istics of Berkshire, 694; character- 
istics of Cheshire, 767 ; characteristics 
of Chester White, 741 ; character- 
istics of Duroc- Jersey, 709 ; charac- 
teristics of Essex, 775 ; characteristics 
of Hampshire, 753 ; characteristics 
of Large Black, 762 ; characteristics 
of Large Yorkshire, 785 ; character- 
istics of Mule-Foot, 759 ; character- 
istics of Poland-China, 725; charac- 
teristics of Small Yorkshire, 771; 
characteristics of Spotted Poland- 
China, 736 ; characteristics of Tam- 
worth, 793 ; Cheshire, 766 ; Cheshire 
as feeder, 768; Cheshire as grazer, 
769; Chester White, 737; color, 688; 
color of Hampshire, 754; color of 
Large Yorkshire, 786; criticisms 
of Tamworth, 798; distribution 
of Berkshire, 704; distribution 
of Cheshire, 769; distribution of 
Chester White, 747; distribution 
of Duroc- Jersey, 718; distribution 
of Essex, 777; distribution of 



8i4 



INDEX 



Hampshire, 757; distribution of 
Large Black, 764; distribution of 
Large Yorkshire, 791 ; distribution 
of Mule-Foot, 761 ; distribution of 
Small Yorkshire, 773; distribution of 
Tamworth, 7q8; Duroc, 707; Duroc- 
Jersey, 705 ; early history of Hamp- 
shire, 749; early improvers of Large 
Yorkshire, 784; Essex, 774; fecun- 
dity of Tamworth, 797 ; feeding 
qualities of Mule-Foot, 760; fleshing 
and fattening quality, 687 ; general 
appearance, 683 ; Guinea, 705 ; hair 
of, 687; Hampshire, 749; Hampshire 
as feeder, 755 ; Hampshire as grazer, 
755 ; improvement of Duroc-Jersey, 
709; Large Black, 762; Large York- 
shire, 782 ; maturity of Hampshire, 
755 ; maturity of Large Yorkshire, 
787; Middle White, 791; most 
valued type of, in United States, 683 ; 
Mule-Foot, 759; native home of 
Cheshire, 766 ; native home of Large 
Black, 762 ; Neapolitan, 691 ; organi- 
zations promoting Berkshire, 704 ; 
organizations promoting Chester 
White, 748 ; organizations promoting 
Hampshire, 758; organizations pro- 
moting Poland-China, 734; origin of 
Duroc-Jersey, 708; origin of Small 
Yorkshire, 770; Poland-China, 720; 
popularity of Cheshire, 769 ; popu- 
larity of Essex, 777; popularity of 
Large Black, 764; Portuguese, 705; 
prices of Berkshire, 703 ; prices of 
Chester White, 746 ; prices of Duroc- 
Jersey, 717; prices of Hampshire, 
757; prices of Poland-China, 732; 
prolificacy of Duroc-Jersey, 715; 
prolificacy of Large Black, 764; pro- 
motion of Essex, 777; promotion of 
Large Black, 765 ; promotion of 
Small Yorkshire, 773; quality of 
meat of Large Black, 763 ; red or 
sandy-colored, 705; Russian, 721; 
Siamese, 690; size of Berkshire, 696; 
size of Cheshire, 767 ; size of Chester 
White, 742 ; size of Duroc-Jersey, 
711; size of Essex, 776; size of 
Hampshire, 755 ; size of Large Black, 
763 ; size of Large Yorkshire, 786 ; 
size of Mule-Foot, 760; size of 
Poland-China, 726; size of Small 
Yorkshire, 772; size of Tamworth, 
794; Small Yorkshire as feeder, 772 ; 
Spanish Red, 705; Tamworth, 792; 



Tamworth as bacon, 795; tempera- 
ment of lard type, 687 

Pilot family, 55 

Plantation mules, 195 

PHohippus, 4 

Poitou jack, 185 

Poitou mule, 196 

Poland-China pig, 720; adaptability, 
728; adoption of name, 723; the 
Berkshire as an element in evolution 
of, 722; characteristics, 725; color, 
725; crossbred or grade, 729; dis- 
tribution, 734; early improvers, 724; 
early-maturing qualities, 728; fam- 
ilies and foundation sows, 731; as 
feeder, 727; foundation stock, 720; 
as grazer, 727 ; Irish Grazier a factor 
in history of, 723; native home, 720; 
organizations promoting, 734 ; origin, 
720; prepotency, 731; quality of 
meat, 728; prices, 732; prolificacy, 
720; sires of distinction, 731; size, 
726; Spotted, 736 

Polled Durham, "single standard," 247 

Polled Hereford cattle, 275; distribu- 
tion, 277; origin, 275; prices, 277; 
promotion, 277; two strains of, 276; 
type, 276 

Polled Jersey cattle, 353 

Polled Shorthorn cattle, 247 ; distribu- 
tion, 250; "double standard," 247; 
important requirements for register- 
ing, 249; origin, 247; popularity, 
249; prepotency, 249; prices, 250; 
promotion of interests, 251 ; tribes, 
248 

Polo pony, 174 

Pony, 168; Arab, 173; Connemara, 
172; Dartmoor, 170; Exmoor, 170; 
Hackney, 173; Highland, 172; In- 
dian (mustangs and bronchos), 173; 
New Forest, 171; Polo, 174; Shet- 
land, 175 {see Shetland pony) ; 
Welsh, 168; definition, 168 

Popularity, of Devon in America, 479 ; 
of Dutch Belted, 433; of Essex, 777; 
of Large Black, 764 ; of Large York- 
shire, 790; of Small Yorkshire, 773 

Pork, of Berkshire, 699; of Chester 
White, 744; of Duroc-Jersey, 714; 
of Hampshire, 755 

Portuguese pigs, 705 

Prehistoric horse, i ; color, 5 ; man and 
the, 6; and modern horse, link be- 
tween, 6 

Premier, 156 



INDEX 



815 



Prepotency, of Ayrshire, 417; of Berk- 
shire, 702 ; of Brown Swiss, 467 ; 
of Chester White, 746; of Duroc- 
Jersey, 716; of Galloway, 308; of 
Hereford, 263 ; of Holstein-Friesian, 
366; of Jersey, 332; of Kerry, 439; 
of Mule-Foot pig, 760; of Poland- 
China, 731 ; of Polled Shorthorn, 
249; of Red Polled, 459; of Short- 
horn, 240 

Price of Ryall, John, 254 

Prices, for Aberdeen-Angus, 297, 298; 
for American saddle horse, 38; for 
Angora goat, 671 ; for Ayrshire, 424; 
for Belgian horse, 131; for Berk- 
shire, 703 ; for Black-faced High- 
land, 654; for Chester White, 746; 
for Cheviot, 604 ; for Clydesdale, 
14s; for Corriedale, 659; for Cots- 
wold, 63s ; for Dexter, 445 ; for 
Duroc- Jersey, 717; for Galloway, 
309; for Guernsey, 408; for Hamp- 
shire Down sheep, 583 ; for Hereford, 
271; for Holstein-Friesian, 379; 
for jack, 190; for Jersey, 349; for 
Leicester, 626; for Lincoln, 643; for 
Merino, 508 ; for milch goat, 682 ; for 
mohair 669; for mule, 199; for Ox- 
ford Down, 572 ; for Percheron, 112 ; 
for Poland-China, 732; for Polled 
Hereford, 277; for Polled Shorthorn, 
250; for Rambouillet, 530; for Rom- 
ney Marsh, 649; for Shetland pony, 
181; for Shire, 158; for Shorthorn, 
241 ; for Shropshire, 562 ; for South- 
down, 548; for standard-bred, 61; 
for Suffolk horse, 167; for Suffolk 
sheep, 611; for Thoroughbred, 29 

Pride family, 294 

Pride of Aberdeen family, 294 

Prime Lad family, 269 

Prime Scots, 305 

Prince of Wales, 142 

Prince William, 157 

Princess Tribe, 210 

Private-test offspring, Jersey sires of, 
347 

Prolificacy, of Aberdeen -Angus, 288; 
of Berkshire, 701 ; of Chester White, 
745 ; of Cheviot, 603 ; of Clydes- 
dale, 139; of Dorset Horn, 592; of 
Duroc- Jersey, 715; of Guernsey, 
395; of Hampshire pig, 756; of 
Hereford, 264; of Holstein-Friesian, 
365; of Jersey, 331 ; of Large Black, 
764; of Large Yorkshire, 790; of 



Mule-Foot, 760; of Oxford Down, 
572; of Percheron, 109; of Poland- 
China, 729; of Red Polled, 459; of 
Shorthorn, 240 

Promotion, of Aberdeen-Angus, 299; 
of Black-faced Highland, 654; of 
Brown Swiss, 472 ; of Corriedale, 
659; of Delaine Merino sheep, 519; 
of Duroc-Jersey, 718; of Dutch 
Belted, 432; of Essex, 777; of Hack- 
ney, 77; of Hereford, 274; of Hol- 
stein-Friesian, 382 ; of Kerry, 441 ; 
of Large Black, 765; of Merino, 
510; of milch goat, 682; of Mule- 
Foot, 761; official, of Dexter, 446; 
of Oxford Down, 574; of Polled 
Hereford, 277; of pure French 
Canadian, 437; of Rambouillet, 532 ; 
of Romney Marsh, 650; of Shrop- 
shire, 564; of Small Yorkshire, 773; 
of Southdown, 550; of standard- 
bred horse, 63 ; of Tamworth, 798 

Protohippus, 4 

Protorohippus, 3 

Provincial flocks of Spain, 490 

Quality, of beef animal, 205 ; of dairy 

type, 322 
Quartly, Francis, 473 
Queen Elizabeth, horse in England 

prior to reign of, 17 
Queen Mother family, 293 

Racing, in America, 44, 61, 62; in 
France, 78, 80; in Great Britain, 
18 

Rack, the, 35 

Rambouillet sheep, 520; breeding 
qualities, 529; characteristics, 524; 
crossbred or grade, 528; distribu- 
tion, 532; early maturity, 529; 
French Merinos, or, 494; hardiness, 
529; improvement, 520; introduc- 
tion to the United States, 521; as 
mutton producer, 527; native home, 
520; prices, 530; promotion, 532; 
size, 526; as wool producer, 527 

Rams, famous Merino, 506 

Range sheep, Cheviot as, 602 ; Leices- 
ter as grazing or, 624 

Rawlence, James, 578 

Records, of Thoroughbreds on Amer- 
ican turf, 27; butter-fat, of Ayr- 
shires, 421 ; butter-fat, of Guernseys, 
400; butter-fat, of Shorthorns, 238; 
early, of horse breeding in Germany, 



8i6 



INDEX 



82; milk, of Ayrshircs, 420; milk, of 
Guernseys, 398; milk, of Holstein- 
Friesians, 369; milk, of Jerseys, 334; 
milk, of Shorthorns, 237; speed, of 
French Coachers, 80; trotters and 
pacers with, 61 ; trotting and 
pacing, 60 

Red, or sandy-colored, pigs, 705 

Red pigs, Jersey, 706; Spanish, 705 

Red Polled cattle, 450; as beef pro- 
ducers, 455 ; as butter producers, 
457; as milk producers, 455; char- 
acteristics, 453 ; color, 454 ; in cross- 
ing and grading, 458; distribution, 
461; groups and tribes, 460; intro- 
duction to America, 452; native 
home, 450; organizations to promote, 
461; origin, 450; prepotency, 459; 
prolificacy, 459; sires, 460; size, 
454; temperament, 459 

Red Rose tribe, 211 

Red swine, Berkshire as source of, 706 

Register of Merit, 336; Jersey sires 
represented in, 347 

Register of production of Brown Swiss 
cattle, 470 

Registry, Advanced, of American 
Guernsey Cattle Club, 396; of Ayr- 
shire Breeders' Association, 417 

Registering Polled Shorthorn cattle, re- 
quirements, 240 

Renovator of brush land, Angora as, 
670 

Roadster, 40; Cleveland Bay as, 87 

Romney Marsh sheep, 646; crossbred, 
648; distribution, 649; early type, 
646 ; as feeder, 648 ; fleece, 649 ; 
modern type, 647; native home, 646; 
prices, 640; promotion, 650; qual- 
ity of mutton, 648; size, 648 

Rose of Sharon, 213 

Rosette family, 341 

Runabout, the, 69 

Running walk, 34 

Russian pig, 721 

Saanen goat, 676 

Saddle animal, mule as carriage or, 109 

Saddle horse gaits, 34. See American 

saddle horse 
St. Lambert family, 343 
Samson, 129 

Sandy-colpred, or red, pigs, 705 
Saxon Merinos, 493 
Sayda family, 345 
Scale of points, early Guernsey, 387 



Schwarzhal goat, 679 

Scotland, development of Shorthorn 
in, 217 

Scots, prime, 305 

Secret tribe of Cruickshank, 221 

Segis family, 378 

Semiofficial yearly Holstein-Friesian 
records, of butter fat, 371; of milk, 
369 

Sex of mule, 192 

Shadingfield strain, 161 

Sheep, Black-faced Highland, 651; 
Border Leicester, 024; organizations 
of Dorset Horn breeders, 596 ; char- 
acteristics of Black-faced Highland, 
652; characteristics of Cheviot, 
590 ; characteristics of Corriedale, 
657; characteristics of Cotswold, 
630; characteristics of Dorset 
Horn, 588; characteristics of early 
Southdown, 540; characteristics of 
English Leicester, 621; character- 
istics of Hampshire Down, 578; 
characteristics of Karakul, 661 ; 
characteristics of Lincoln, 638; char- 
acteristics of Oxford Down, 568; 
characteristics of Rambouillet, 524; 
characteristics of Shropshire, 556; 
characteristics of Southdown, 541 ; 
characteristics of Suffolk, 608; char- 
acteristics of Tunis, 614; Cheviot, 
597; Corriedale, 655; Cotswold, 628; 
crossbred or grade Karakul, 662 ; 
distribution of Black-faced High- 
land, 654 ; distribution of Cheviot, 
605 ; distribution of Corriedale, 
659; distribution of Cotswold, 
635 ; distribution of Dorset Horn, 
505 ; distribution of Hampshire 
Down, 585 ; distribution of Karakul, 
665; distribution of Leicester, 627; 
distribution of Lincoln, 644; dis- 
tribution of Merino, 509; distribu- 
tion of Oxford Down, 573; 
distribution of Rambouillet, 532; 
distribution of Romney Marsh, 649; 
distribution of Shropshire, 563 ; dis- 
tribution of Southdown, 550; dis- 
tribution of Suffolk, 61 2 ; distribution, 
of Tunis, 617; Dorset Horn, 586; 
early type of Romney Marsh, 646; 
fleece of Corriedale, 658 ; Hampshire 
Down, 575; husbandry of, in Spain, 
488; Karakul, 660; Leicester, 618; 
Lincoln, 636; Lincoln as grazer, 642; 
mania for Merino, 497; Merino, or 



INDEX 



817 



fine- woo! type, 481 ; modern type of 
Romney Marsh, 647; mutton type, 
533; native home of Lincoln, 636; 
native home of Shropshire, 551 ; 
native home of Southdown, 537; of- 
ficial promotion of Corriedale, 6sg; 
official promotion of Shropshire, 
564 ; organizations promoting Lin- 
coln, 64s ; origin of Corriedale, 655 ; 
original stock of Southdown, 537; 
Oxford Down, 566 ; prices for 
Cheviot, 604; prices for Corriedale, 
659; prices for Cotswold, 635; prices 
for Hampshire Down, 583 ; prices 
for Oxford Down, 572; prices for 
Rambouillet, 530; prices for Shrop- 
shire, 562 ; prices for Southdown, 
548; prices for Suffolk, 611; prolifi- 
cacy of Dorset Horn, 592 ; promotion 
of Cotswold, 63s ; promotion of 
Delaine Merino, 519; promotion of 
Merino, 510; promotion of Oxford 
Down, 574; promotion of Rambou- 
illet, 532 ; promotion of Romney 
Marsh, 650; Rambouillet, 520; 
Romney Marsh, 646; Shropshire, 
551 ; size of Black-faced Highland, 
653; size of Cheviot, 600; size of 
Cotswold, 631 ; size of Dorset Horn, 
589; size of Hampshire Down, 580; 
size of Leicester, 622; size of Lin- 
coln, 638; size of Oxford Down, 
570; size of Rambouillet, 526; size 
of Romney Marsh, 648; size of 
Shropshire, 557; size of Southdown, 
543 ; size of Suffolk, 609 ; size of 
Tunis, 615; Southdown, 537; Suf- 
folk, 607; Tunis, 613; two great 
groups of Spanish, 489 ; weight of 
Corriedale, 658 

Sheeted pig, 750 

Shelter for Angora goat, 671 

Shetland pony, 175; ancestry, 175; 
characteristics, 177; coat of hair, 
177; color, 177; distribution, 181; 
hardy nature, 179; height, 178; im- 
provement, 178; native home, 175; 
notable sires, 179; organizations for 
promoting, 181 ; prices, 181 ; type, 
175. 176; use of, in America, 178; 
value for draft purposes, 179 

Shire horse, 148; action, 153; asso- 
ciations to promote, 159; character- 
istics, 152; color, i>4; crossbred or 
grade, 155; different varieties, 151; 
distribution, 158; hairy legs, 153; 



important stallions, 156; importa- 
tion to America, 152; improved by 
Robert Bakewell, 149; modern, 151; 
old-fashioned type, 150; prices, 158; 
real origin, 149; size, 154; sound- 
ness, 156; special field, 155; special 
region in England for breeding, 148; 
temperament, 155; very early his- 
tory, 148 

Shorthorn cattle, '207; adaptability, 
239; as beef producers, 231; breed- 
ers, less prominent early English, 
217; characteristics, 225; color, 229; 
dairy point of view, 235 ; develop- 
ment of, in Scotland, 217; dis- 
tinguished early improvers, 208 ; 
distribution of Polled, 250; double- 
standard Polled, 247 ; early matur- 
ity, 239 ; famous recent, 241 ; first 
importation to America, 224; 
geographical distribution, 244; 
important butter-fat records, 238; 
important milk records, 237; im- 
portant requirements for registering 
Polled, 249 ; importance of, in grad- 
ing and crossing, 234; native home, 
207; notable recent sires, 240; offi- 
cial public-dairy tests, 235 ; organi- 
zations promoting, 245; origin, 207; 
origin of Polled, 247 ; Polled, 247 ; 
popularity of Polled, 249; pre- 
potency of Polled, 249; prolificacy, 
240; promotion of interests of 
Polled, 251; size, 230; in show ring, 
232; temperament, 239; prices, 241; 
prices for Polled, 250 

Shoulders of light harness horse, 40 

Shows, of draft horse in Belgium, 132 ; 
leading Percheron, iii; Percheron 
futurity, 112 

Shropshire sheep, 551 ; characteristics, 
556; constitutional vigor, 560; cross- 
bred or grade, 559; distribution, 
563; early-maturing quahties, 560; 
fecundity, 560; as grazer, 559; in- 
troduction to America, 555; native 
home, 551; official promotion, 564; 
origin, 551; prices, 562; rank as 
mutton, 558; size, 557; two early 
prominent improvers, 554; as wool 
producer, 561 

Southdown sheep, 537: adaptability, 
547 ; breeding, by English nobility, 
539 ; breeding, qualities, 547 ; char- 
acteristics of early, 540; crossbred 
or grade, 546; distribution, 550; as 



8i8 



INDEX 



feeder, 544; important early im- 
provers of, 537; introduction to 
America, 540; native home, 537; 
original stock, 537; prices, 548; 
promotion, 550; quality of mutton, 
545 ; recent characteristics, 541 ; size, 
543 ; as wool producer, 548 

Siamese pig, 690 

Signal family, 341 . 

Silesian, or German, Merinos, 492 

Single foot, 34 

Single-standard Polled Durham, 247 

Sires, American saddle-horse, 38; Ayr- 
shire, 424; Chester White, 746; 
Clydesdale, 140; Clydesdale, honor 
roll of, 144; foundation Belgian, 129; 
Hampshire, 757; Hereford, 270; 
Holstein-Friesian, 379; Jersey, 347; 
Jersey foundation, 346 ; Jersey, 
Island-bred compared with native, 
348 ; of pacing horses, 58 ; Percheron, 
no; Poland-Chnia, 731; recent 
Shorthorn, 240; Red Polled, 460; 
Shetland, 179; Thoroughbred, of 
winners, 25; of trotting horses, 58 

Size, of American Merino, 500; of 
American saddle horse, 33 ; of Ayr- 
shire, 416; of Berkshire, 696; of 
Black-faced Highland, 653 ; of Brown 
Swiss, 466; of Cheshire, 767; of 
Chester White, 742 ; of Cheviot, 
600; of Cotswold, 631; of Devon, 
476; of Dexter, 444; of Dorset 
Horn, 589; of Duroc- Jersey, 711; 
of Essex, 776; of Galloway, 304; 
of Guernsey, 393; of Hampshire 
Down, 580; of Hampshire pig, 755; 
of Hereford, 260; of Holstein- 
Friesian, 363; of Jersey, 329; of 
Large Black, 763 ; of Large York- 
shire, 786; of Leicester, 622 ; of Lin- 
coln, 638; of Mule-Foot, 760; of 
Oxford Down, 570; of Poland- 
China, 726; of Rambouillet, 526; of 
Red Polled, 454 ; of Romney Marsh, 
648; of Shire, 154; of Shorthorn, 
230; of Shropshire, 557; of Small 
Yorkshire, 772; of Southdown, 543; 
of Suffolk sheep, 609 ; of Tamworth, 
794; of Tunis, 615; of West High- 
land, 313 
Skin secretions of Guernsey, 392 ; of 

mutton-type sheep, 535 
Small White, strains or families, 770 
Small Yorkshire pig, 770; character- 
istics, 771 ; crossbred or grade, 772 ; 



distribution, 773; early maturity, 
772; fecundity, 773; as feeder, 772; 
as grazer, 773; introduction to Am- 
erica, 770; origin, 770; popularity, 
773; promotion, 773; quality of 
meat, 772 ; size, 772 

Sophie 19th of Hood Farm, 333, 338 

Soundness of Hackney, 75 ; of Shire, 
156 

Sows, Poland-China, families and 
foundation, 731 

Spain, annual Merino drives in, 489 
exportation of Merinos from, 492 
important provincial flocks in, 490 
reduction of Merino flocks in, 492 
sheep husbandry in, 488 

Spanish Merino, Black-Top, 513 

Spanish red pigs, 705 

Spanish sheep, two great groups, 489 

Speed records, of French Coacher, 80; 
of Thoroughbred, 26 

Speed of trotter, 59 

Spicy tribe, 222 

Spotted Poland-China, 736; character- 
istics, 736 

Stallions, important Shire, 156 

Standard, for trotters, 49; for pacers, 
50 

Standard-bred horse, definition of, 48 ; 
distribution, 63 ; prices, 61 ; official 
promotion, 63 

Standard, National, or Victor-Beall 
Delaines, 515 

Steers, Shorthorn, in show ring, 232; 
grand-champion, 290; prices for 
Aberdeen-Angus, 298 

Sterility of mule, 192 

Strawberry, or Halnaby, tribe, 216 

Studbook, American French Coach, 
81 ; Thoroughbred, 30 

Stud fees in Belgium, 124 

Subclasses of heavy harness horses, 
68 

Suburban handicap records, 28 

Suffolk and Norfolk Red Polled cattle, 
amalgamation of, 452 

Suffolk horse, 160; characteristics, 162; 
color, 164; distribution, 166; as 
draft animal, 166; early history^, 
160; fecundity and longevity, 165; 
foreign blood used to improve, 160; 
foundation of pure-bred, 160; grade 
or crossbred, 165; history of, in 
America, 161 ; history of modern, 
161; promotion, 167; native home, 
160; prices, 167 



INDEX 



819 



Suffolk Red Polled cattle, 450 

Suffolk sheep, 607 ; characteristics, 608; 
crossbred or grade, 610; distribution, 
612; fecundity, 611; as feeder, 609; 
introduction to America, 607 ; for 
mutton, 609; native home, 607; or- 
ganizations for promoting, 612; 
original stock, 607; prices, 611; as 
producer of wool, 611; size, 609 

Swedish Merinos, 493 

Swine. See Pig 

Tamworth pig, 792 ; ancestry, 792 ; for 
bacon, 795 ; characteristics, 793 ; 
criticisms, 798; crossbred or grade, 
796; distribution, 798; early type, 
792; fecundity, 797; feeding qual- 
ity? 795; as grazer, 797; improve- 
ment, 792 ; introduction to Amer- 
ica, 793 ; maturing qualities, 795 ; 
native home, 702 ; organizations pro- 
moting, 798; size, 794 

Temperament and disposition, of Ayr- 
shire, 417; of Belgian, 127; of 
Clydesdale, 139 ; of Guernsey, 393 ; 
of Jersey, 331; of lard-type, 687; 
of mule, 197 ; of Percheron, 107 ; of 
Red Polled, 459; of Shire, 155; of 
Shorthorn, 239 ; of Thoroughbred, 

23 

Testing of Holstein-Friesians, Ad- 
vanced Registry Ofiicial, 367 

Tests, public, Ayrshires in, 422 

Thoroughbreds, 17; of American 
breeding, 25; color, 23; conforma- 
tion, 21; distribution, 29; early im- 
provement, 18; height, 23; importa- 
tion to America, 24; list of famous 
British, 23; origin, 21; prices, 29; 
records of, at English Derby, 27; 
records of, on American turf, 27; 
sires of winners, 25; speed record, 
26; studbook, 30; temperament, 23; 
three early English sires, 19; value 
of, in developing American saddle 
horse, 32; weight, 23; winnings, 28 

Toggenburg goat, 674 

Tomkins family, 254 

Tomkins, Benjamin, father and son, 254 

Tormentor family, 344 

Transhumantes, 489 

Tribes and groups of Red Polled cattle, 
460 

Tricksey family, 406 

Trot, 35, 47; fox, 35; interchangeable 
with pace, 48 



Trotter, American, 44, 46; definition 
of standard-bred, 48; early use of, 
in America, 44 ; families of note, 50 ; 
famous brood mares, 56; founda- 
tion blood of, in America, 44 ; history 
of English, 44; leading sires, 58; 
number with records, 61 ; some rec- 
ords, 60; speed, 59; standard of 
eligibility, 49 ; type of American, 46 

Tunis sheep, 613; characteristics, 614; 
crossbred or grade, 616; distribu- 
tion, 617; for early lambs, 616; 
fecundity, 616; fleece, 616; intro- 
duction to America, 613 ; as mutton 
animal, 615; native home, 613; 
origin, 613 ; size, 615 

Tunis Sheep Breeders' Association, 
American, 617 

Turf, Thoroughbred records on Amer- 
ican, 27 

Type, bacon pig, 778; Chester White, 
original, 737; Essex, early native, 
774; improvement of old Jersey, 
325; Large Yorkshire, 786; line of 
demarcation in Merino, 483 ; 
modern, of Merino in Australia, 499 ; 
older Berkshire, 691 ; Romney Marsh, 
early, 646; Romney Marsh, modern, 
647 ; of swine most valued in United 
States, 683; Tamworth, early, 792 

Types, of Devon, two, 476; of 
Holstein-Friesian, 361 ; of Merino, 
three, 481 ; of Merino, breeding of 
three, 483 

Udder of dairy cow, 320 

United States, distribution of Per- 
cheron in, 114; exhibition of Bel- 
gians in, 133 ; introduction of Cheviot 
to, 599; introduction of Cotswold 
to, 629 ; introduction of Large York- 
shire to, 784 ; introduction of Merino 
to, 495 ; introduction of Percheron 
to, 102 ; introduction of Rambouillet 
to, 521; mule-raising in, 194; type 
of swine most valued in, 683 

Veins, milk, 321 

Venus tribe, 222 

Victor-Beall Delaine Merino, 515 

Victoria tribe, 222 

Vigor of Shropshire, 560 

Violet tribe, 223 

Warrior, 189 



S20 



TNDFA' 



Waterloo tribe, 21.5 

Watson of Keillor, Hugh, 2 So 

Webb, Jonas, 538 

Weight, of Aberdeen-Angus, 286; of 
Angora goat, 670; of bacon pig, 780; 
of Corriedale, 658; of draft horse, 
8q; and height of Belgian, 127; and 
height of Clydesdale, 138; and 
height of Perchcron, 106; of Merino 
fleece compared with body, 502 ; 
of milch goat, 680; of mule, 194; of 
Thoroughbred, 23 

Welsh pony, 168 

West Highland cattle, 311; as beef 
producer, 313; breeding qualities, 
315; characteristics, 312; crossbred 
or grade, 314; distribution, 315; 
hardiness, 315; introduction of, to 
America, 311 ; milking qualities, 314; 
native home, 311; organization of 
breeders, 316; origin, 311; size, 

313 
Wild Eyes tribe, 214 
William the Conqueror, 156 
Winnings, of Thoroughbred, 28; on 

the race track, 61 



Wool, American Merino as producer of, 
501 ; Black-faced Highland as pro- 
ducer of, 653 ; Cheviot as producer 
of, 604; Cotswold as producer of, 
634 ; crimp and elasticity of Merino, 
503 ; Dorset Horn as producer of, 
593 ; Hampshire Down as producer 
of, 583 ; Leicester as producer of, 
624; Lincoln as producer of, 642; 
of Merino, 487 ; of mutton-type 
sheep, 535 ; Oxford Down as pro- 
ducer of, 572; Rambouillet as 
producer of, 527; Shropshire as pro- 
ducer of, 561 ; Southdown as pro- 
ducer of, S48; Suffolk as producer 
of, 611 

World War, influence of, on horse in 
Belgium, 133 

Wright strain, 161 

Yeksa family, 407 
Yolk, 481 

Yorkshire Club, American, 791 
Yorkshire Coach horse, 87 
Yorkshire pig. See Large Yorkshire 
and Small Yorkshire 



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Agricultural Experiment Station, and Professor of Threm- 
matology in the University of Illinois 

8vo, cloth, 7-7 pages, illustrated 

" Principles of Breeding " is a pioneer in the worthy endeavor 
to collate with the practical side of breeding the results of 
recent research in the processes and factors which govern the 
evolution of plants and animals. It sets forth the tasks in- 
volved in improving plants and animals, and familiarizes the 
reader with the methods employed for the quantitative and 
accurate determination of the extent and range of variability. 
It is therefore a book for both the student of agriculture in 
college and the practical breeder on the farm. 

DOMESTICATED 
ANIMALS. AND PLANTS 

By Eugene Davenport, Dean of the College of Agriculture, Director of the 
Agricultural Experiment Station, and Professor of Threm- 
matology in the University of Illinois 

8vo, cloth, 321 pages, illustrated 

The aim of this work is to stimulate a widespread interest 
in domesticated animals and plants — to account for their origin, 
describe their life in the wild, explain their appropriation by man, 
show our dependence upon their services, state clearly the 
methods and principles of their further improvement — and, 
incidentally, to explain heredity in such a simple way as to 
bring within the range of the young student and the general 
reader the main facts of transmission, applicable alike to plant 
and animal improvement, and to human relations as well. 

The literature of this subject is too intensely technical for the 
ordinary reader. The endeavor has been to make this book so 
simple and clear that it may be adapted alike to the secondary 
school, normal school, college, and to the needs of the general 
reader. 



GINN AND COMPANY Publishers 



FUNGOUS DISEASES OF PLANTS 

By Benjamin Minge Ducgar 
Frofessor of Plant Physiology, Washington University, St. Louis 



8vo, cloth, 508 pages, illustrated 



IN this book are presented many of the vital facts brought 
to light by modern research in plant pathology, which 
should be invaluable to farmers, gardeners, and every one 
interested in plants. It is of equal usefulness as a reference 
book or as a textbook for college or university instruction. 
There is embodied a comprehensive discussion of the chief 
fungous diseases of cultivated and familiar plants. The value 
of the bacteriological method in plant pathology is emphasized 
by special chapters giving concise methods for the cultivation 
of parasitic fungi. Important physiological relations of these 
plants are also presented in sufficient detail to give the reader 
the salient facts which have been developed. 

The arrangement of topics is in taxonomic sequence with 
respect to the fungi, so that morphological study is most effec- 
tive ; and, moreover, there is a full treatment of pathological 
modifications. 

Each disease is discussed with reference to its occurrence, 
the nature of the lesions or processes induced, the structure, 
life history, and cultural relations of the causal fungus, and 
practical methods for prevention or control. 

The literature of the subject is freely cited, and a host index 
provides a ready reference to all of the important fungous 
diseases occurring upon any host. The method of treatment 
followed is intended to facilitate and stimulate the work of the 
student and to enlarge the interests of the general reader. 

GINN AND COMPANY Publishers 



TEXTBOOKS IN AGRICULTURE 



ESSENTIALS OF AGRICULTURE 

By Henry Jackson Waters, recently President of the Kansas State Agricultural 
College. 455 + xxxvi pages, illustrated, partly in color 

The first well-organized and well-balanced high-school textbook in ag- 
riculture treating of the whole United States. It makes definite applica- 
tion of the essentials of agriculture to every important type of farming. 
Among the subjects covered are the main crops, plant diseases and insect 
pests, live-stock production, dairying, and the care and management of 
soils. Questions, exercises, and references follow each chapter. 

AGRICULTURAL LABORATORY EXERCISES AND 
HOME PROJECTS 

By Henry Jackson Waters, recently President of the Kansas State Agricultural 
College, and Joseph D. Elliff, Professor of High-School Administration, Uni- 
versity of Missouri, and Director of Vocational Education for Missouri. Quarto, 
cloth, 2iS pages, illustrated 

This book for secondary schools is divided into three parts, treating 
plant life and growth, management of the soil, field and orchard crops, 
insects and plant diseases and their control, breeds and types of farm 
animals, and the feeding of farm animals. A feature of the book is the 
portion requiring scientific home experiment. 

AGRICULTURAL LABORATORY MANUAL: SOILS 

By Edward Scott Sell, State Normal School, Athens, Georgia 
Forty exercises adapted to high schools, agricultural high schools, 
and normal schools. The manual covers such subjects as the origin and 
structure of soils, soil moisture, soil temperature, crop rotation, fertiliz- 
ers, bacteria, and tillage. Many of the exercises are to be done in the 
field, so that principles taught in the laboratory may be verified under 
field conditions. Very little equipment is required. 

OUR DOMESTIC BIRDS 

By John Henry Roeinso>. 327 pages, illustrated 
A HIGH-SCHOOL book in the rudiments of aviculture. Among the kinds 
of poultry treated are fowls, ducks, geese, turkeys, guineas, pheasants, 
and ostriches. The book discusses their place in nature, their relations 
to civilization, and all their uses for profit and pleasure. 



178 

GINN AND COMPANY Publishers 



